AN_ Sorry I haven't written in forever. School got out Friday and I was cramming for finals all last week and the week before, and I was out of town the week before that with NO computer access. So I'm finally here! :D I'm kinda sad that I didn't get as many reviews on the last chapter as normal but there were TONS for the one before that. I'm going to try to make this a longer chapter and I'm seriously considering a third story for this to make it a trilogy anyway…
Well I got cast as Ronnette's understudy and in the ensemble in Little Shop of Horrors and I got cast as Hera in Xanadu. Totally psyched! In honor of Xanadu, we're doing an 80's night for the first rehearsal. I know how to do hair and make up, but what should I wear? Any help will be appreciated.
DISLCIAMER (lol typo) :IDOSW
AHSOKA POV
The next time I was awake, I was greeted with the familiar smell of blood and medicine. The room was stark white. I was back in the medical bay. I felt a wait on my injured stomach. Gasping in pain, I looked down to see Anakin sleeping, resting his head on his stomach and his hand on my wrist. Heavy bags were under his eyes and he was pale, so I made no noise. I let my head fall back against the pillow and looked out of the window. We were back on the resolute and the stars were endless. I loved looking at the stars. In a world of war, they seamed to be the only thing that ever remained constant. While the planets moved and were blown to bits, the stars were always in the same place, right where we needed them.
The door swooshed open quietly and I raised a finger to my lips, silencing whoever had entered. When I turned I saw Obi-wan and Plo-koon. I smiled at them and mouthed, 'thank you' to Obi-wan. He came over and put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a light squeeze but I held back a hiss of pain as he touched a sensitive burn. He mouthed 'sorry' to me and I smiled slightly, saying it was okay. I looked back out at the stars. Anakin moved his head slightly and his hair landed into a raw wound that made me cry out in pain and shoot forward. Anakin shot up and looked around wildly.
Master Plo put a hand on my back lightly and helped me lay down again.
"Ahsoka." Anakin gasped. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, I would never hurt you!" he said, apologizing profusely.
"Master it's okay. You didn't mean to. It was an accident." I touched his hand. "I didn't want to wake you… You look so tired."
"I'm able to sleep better now that I have you back Baby Girl." he said and I smiled at him.
"Master why don't you go to our quarters and sleep?"
He looked ready to protest about leaving me alone, but Obi-wan jumped in and said he'd stay with me at all times. Anakin smiled gratefully and kissed my forehead before walking away. I looked back at the stars as Obi-wan sat down on the bed near my knees.
"Ahsoka, why do you keep looking at the stars?" he asked with curiosity.
"We're in a war. Everything changes within seconds in the universe. The planets move and are blown to bits, taken under siege, trapped, abandoned. The stars stay constant. They're always where we expect them to be. They won't, they don't leave. When I was little, my father was a cruel man. He was unfaithful to my mother and he wasn't very… verbal. He expressed his anger by physical means on both of us… She finally left…alone. She left me behind with him. He said it was my fault. He beat me often. So I would climb onto the roof every night so he didn't hear me if I cried… And there was a constellation that was always there… It never left. I don't know… I guess it kept me from feeling alone."
He looked at me strangely. I don't think he'd ever seen me that vulnerable. "Is that why you're so attached to Anakin?" he asked gently.
"I'm attached to Anakin because he cares about me. I know we are forbidden to form attachments, but how can I not when he's practically raising me?"
"Don't worry Ahsoka. The Council has discussed it but they think it is good for the both of you."
"They do?" I said in disbelief. He chuckled lightly.
"The council may seem completely strict and against you at times, but all they really want is what is best. They know it is best for the both of you to have each other."
"Is this because of what happened when I…" I looked down, ashamed at the memory of how weak I had become.
"Partially." he stated.
"Thank you Obi-wan." I said quietly. "You've done so much for me and I've never thanked you for it." I couldn't help it though, I leaned forward and hugged him lightly. He smiled and hugged me back.
"You're welcome young one." we let go and I sat back, pulling my feet up and sat cross legged.
"When will they let me out?" I asked. "I want to leave so bad!"
He laughed again. "Ahsoka you're very hurt. The wounds will take weeks to heal fully. They'll let you out in a week. Then you'll return to the temple for three days. After that it's up to Anakin."
"Can you maybe…give him a mission. He'd have to take me!"
Obi-wan smiled. "I'll see what I can do."
I smiled at him and yawned. He rested his hand on my head tail and smiled. "Rest young one. I won't leave you alone until Anakin comes back."
"Thank you…" I said one final time before closing my eyes and falling asleep.
OBII-WAN POV
When Ahsoka told me about her past, I had never seen her so vulnerable. She and Anakin seemed like they could both truly be the father and daughter their relationship had morphed into. They both had tragic pasts, they were both very strong in the force, and they both were rebellious. We chatted for a bit, mostly about her leaving and she finally fell asleep. Her face was still scrunched in pain, so I grabbed a booster and shot a painkiller into her arm. She flinched only slightly before the medicine took effect and she relaxed under the blankets. Through the thin layer of sheets, she looked even smaller than she normally did.
She started to toss her head back and forth, murmuring. I tried to calm her, wishing there was a painkiller that could fight off the nightmares. She mumbled her master's name multiple times, but what really surprised me was even in her unconscious state, she shoved a title past her lips dripping in sarcasm and hatred.
"Chancellor."
As far as I knew, Ahsoka never met the Chancellor, maybe in passing or when she had to wait outside the door while Anakin had a conversation with him about the war or personal matters. Maybe they could go see him when they got back to the temple. It certainly would be an interesting encounter… Ahsoka started to shout. The shouts escalated into screams of pain and terror. The heart rate monitor she was attached to spiked and pounded. Some of her raw wounds tore slightly. She would open them all if she didn't calm down.
"Ahsoka! Wake up! It's alright!" the door flew open behind me and in walked Anakin. He sat down and wrapped his arms around his sleeping child.
"Snips it's okay! I'm here!" her eyes snapped open, flooded with tears.
"Daddy!" she wrapped herself tightly around him, refusing to let go and acknowledge the pain of her injuries.
"It's alright Soka. I'm here." he whispered gently as her breathing calmed. "We're going to take you back to the Temple okay? We'll see all your friends and you'll get better."
She nodded and leaned against him heavily, still spent. He lifted her carefully into his arms, detaching all the wires and tubes connected to her. We walked to the Twilight and Anakin held onto Ahsoka all the way to the decent over the planet. He carried her gently into the temple and brought her to their room before laying her on the bed.
"Good night Anakin." I said. "I was thinking we could go see the Chancellor tomorrow. I'm sure he'd love to hear how Ahsoka is doing."
Anakin smiled wearily. "If she's well enough tomorrow."
I nodded and left.
ANAKIN POV
When Obi-wan left, I desperately wanted to sleep, but I wanted to sit by Ahsoka. I sank onto my bed and before I knew it I was sleeping.
When I woke up, Ahsoka sat up on her bed with someone else wrapping their arms around her.
"Ahsoka I was so worried," a familiar voice said.
"I'm okay Barriss. Just a bit sore."
"Good morning Barriss." I said. The two girls looked straight at me.
"Good morning Master." they said in unison.
"I hate to cut the reunion short but Ahsoka and I have somewhere we need to be." I stated, stretching out my muscles.
"Where are we going?" Ahsoka asked, jumping up with energy despite the dozens of wounds coating her body.
"We're going to see the Chancellor."
She stiffened slightly but recovered quickly and smiled. We walked out of the room and hopped in a speeder. Ahsoka was quiet the whole ride, but I just passed it off as exhaustion. When we walked up the stairs and knocked on the door, Ahsoka hid behind me slightly, half her body hidden behind me. "Ah Anakin! So good to see you!" he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Excuse us child." he said to Ahsoka.
"Actually she's not allowed to leave my sight." I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and holding her close to my side.
Something flashed in his eyes quickly…what was it? He looked at Ahsoka for a second and went inside. "Ahsoka." he said. "I heard you were recently kidnapped and tortured quite severely."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Of course you heard." she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Please do not use that tone with me. I do not appreciate it."
"Of course not." she laughed. "You made that quite clear."
She rubbed one of the bruises on her arm lightly. I looked between the two of them. Ahsoka was scowling and the Chancellor was smirking. Something panged inside of me and it hurt. Something happened between them that I didn't know about. I carefully extended my mind to Ahsoka's. Her shields were slammed up against the dark side, a trick I had taught her so that if someone tried to probe her mind I could still contact her. Images flashed that I could see. Bane. Ahsoka laying on the table crying. Being tortured by the figure from Mustafar. And a face…
I jumped out of my seat and screamed at the Chancellor.
"It was you!"