Hello everyone...I'm back from my camping trip...and...I'm tired...sad...gloomy...and simply...tired. I really didn't want to spend ANY time on my laptop but I was just like, "You know what? I made my readers a promise that I'd be updating this story and that's what I'm going to do." So here I am, hauling myself over to my laptop and posting this chapter. The camping trip had its fun moments...and its awful moments...(which in my opinion, were MUCH more frequent.) I watched Jack the Giant Slayer on the way to the site and I realized that Ewan McGregor (the man who played as Obi-wan Kenobi in the prequel,) played as Elmont. Needless to say, I freaked out and now I'm a Jack the Giant Slayer fan...but yeah...I also had a good time with running around and breathing in really, really fresh air but let's just say that some people aren't nice...and I was pretty pissed off at my emails, too. Deleting over 1,000 emails is NOT how I wanna spend my Sunday, thank you very much...*sighs* Anyways, enough with this stupid banter, please read. :')

Chapter 20. When You're All Alone

Anakin Skywalker—

"You gave Ahsoka quite the scare today." Obi-wan tells me the second my eyes are opened. I let out a small moan, feeling my head spin and swallowed. My mouth was dry and scratchy. Obi-wan wordlessly handed me a cup of water and I smiled gratefully.

I drank down a long gulp from it and placed it down on the night stand shakily. "What happened?" I asked, fighting off the yellow dots that were swimming in my vision.

"You don't remember?" Obi-wan asks. "You smashed a bunch of beer bottles on the ground."

I winced and rubbed my eyes. "I…" I swallowed and sat up quickly. "Shit!" I cried out and kicked the blankets off my legs. I scrambled for my phone and began to dial Ahsoka's number.

"I have to apologize; I can't believe I would do such a thing!" I said frantically and Obi-wan calmly plucks the phone out of my hand.

"What was that for?! Obi-wan, I need to talk to her!" I shouted.

"Calm yourself, Anakin…and there's no need to call her. She's in the bathroom." Obi-wan said, putting the phone down on the night stand.

I blinked. "What?" I asked. Almost as soon as that word escaped my lips, Ahsoka walks into the room, rubbing her eyes. I automatically felt a fresh wave of guilt wash over me and I felt my face heat up.

"Is he better?" Ahsoka asks, not looking at me in the eye.

"I believe so." Obi-wan replies quietly and I sighed, resisting the urge to moan in embarrassment and annoyance. Why was this always happening to me?

I tried for a grin and mumbled, "This is humiliating…you always catch me in my worst moments…"

"That's my job." Ahsoka replies lightly and I raised an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden change in her attitude.

Suddenly, fuzzy, hazy memories began to crash into my mind and I blinked, recalling hearing Ahsoka's faint voice in the background. I frowned and finally made out the words from the memory, "I think I still like you."

I wordlessly looked up at Ahsoka, my eyes wide and almost as though she had read my mind, Ahsoka quickly clears her throat and begins to gather her things. "Merry Christmas, both of you." She says and ran out the door.

•◊•

The rest of the holiday break went by slowly but surely. I didn't call Ahsoka for the rest of the vacation, nor did she to me.

I had the strange feeling that she was just as humiliated as I was. I could almost feel Ahsoka wincing as she walked into the classroom Monday morning as break ended.

She hesitantly sat down in front of me and Barriss whispered something at her. I watched curiously as her lekku stripes darkened and she waves Barriss away with a flick of her hand.

I studied the board closely, pretending to look busy and interested in whatever teaching skills Obi-wan had. My bravado didn't last until the second the announcements crackled on.

"A big surprise, there is waiting for you in the gymnasium." Principal Yoda says in his backward-way of speaking. I heard a couple of snickers sounding across the room but they listened intently as he talks on.

"Come to our school, students from West Point academy have. Give a presentation and lecture, they are. Listen closely and learn, hm?" Our principal gives a small, queer laugh before turning off the intercom.

Obi-wan turned to the rest of the class and gently put the piece of chalk down. "Well, students, you heard what the principal said. Get in a line, please, and no dawdling. Classes may still be going on, so keep your voices down." He says patiently and there were shuffling of feet and scrapes of desks and chairs as the students stumbled into a somewhat organized line.

Obi-wan opened the door and we all walked through quietly. Well, as quietly as a large group of sixteen year olds can be with one teacher and one rather impatient, cranky teacher learner.

Guess which one I am?

Other classes were walking into the gymnasium when we stepped through the doors.

The entire room was filled with noisy chatter and excitement that was practically tangible as four men walk out in front of us.

For a moment, we don't see their faces until they properly take off their helmets. A quiet hush fills the room and then I heard Cadena whisper, "Are they supposed to look exactly the same?"

"They're not entirely the same…" Sara murmurs and Suki tilted her head to the side. "Nope, they're the same." She says.

"Shut up, you guys!" Lamia hisses.

I heard Xale and Jake both laughing quietly but quickly stopped as Mr. Chang prodded their shoulders to tell them to settle down.

"Good morning, students of Coruscant High." One of the men—a man with bleached, blond hair says. "As you all know, we are from the West Point academy from upstate New York and now, we're just here to provide information…after all, who knows, some of you might be interested in joining the army one day."

There was a couple of smiles and poking going around the room and then another man with a bit of dark hair growing below his lower lip holds up a hand. "Now, before you all can ask, yes, we are brothers." He says cheerfully. "But trust me, we're different."

"For one, I'm smarter." The man standing next to him says, laughing. "Aw, shut up, Echo." His brother said, but he was smiling as well.

"C'mon, you two, make good impressions!" A different man said, crossing his arms.

The first man—the one with bleached hair—sighed. "I'm Rex." He says firmly. "I'm Cody." The man next to him says, his arms still crossed.

Cody—the student next to me—perks up and Alex pokes his shoulder teasingly. "I'm Echo, as Waxer here said." One of the men said.

"Hi!" The students chorused.

I quickly zoned out of the lecture that the four men were trying to give us on how much responsibility there was in supporting your team, preparing, etc.

It wasn't until Rex mentioned something about combat was when I actually perked up. All of the girls began giggling as he tugged off his shirt to demonstrate wrestling with Echo.

I couldn't help but to frown when Ahsoka began watching the two with a thoughtful expression on her face. I glared at the ground and there were loud hoots coming from the boys to encourage the fight.

I looked back up when the two finally separated. They were both looking cool and unruffled and Waxer grinned. "Now, that's just some parts of training, folks…does anyone else want to try with us?" He asks. "Don't worry; we'll go easy on you!" Echo added cheerfully.

Before I properly knew it, I was standing up and my feet were walking over to the center of the gymnasium. I smirked and crossed my arms at Rex, who gave me a somewhat lopsided smile as his eyes took my existence in.

"Ah, well…you look able enough, now, don't you?" He asks and I nodded. "That's about right." I said coldly.

Rex smirked and said, "Then let's do this."

I snorted and shrugged off my own shirt. I heard a couple of girls gasping and could feel Ahsoka's eyes boring into my back.

I ignored it all and we were both locked into combat. My senses automatically began to kick in and I quickly did a roundhouse kick to Rex's chest. He was quick, though. He ducked and tried to grab at my leg. I slammed it down instead, using my foot to shove itself against Rex's head.

Rex grabbed my ankle and tried to throw me to the ground but I twisted my entire self over and managed to spin it out of his grip.

We were both standing across each other, our hands clenched into tight fists and our feet at shoulders' width apart. My feet dug into the mat and Rex charged at me. I immediately gripped his forearms and tossed him over my shoulder.

"And…Rex is down, everyone!" Cody shouts (Rex's brother, not the student) somewhat gleefully.

Rex looks up and grins. "Looks like we've got a fighter here." He said jokingly as he stood up. I took my shirt and slipped it back on. "Maybe." I replied and shot a quick glance at Ahsoka. She was watching me with wide eyes and I had a sudden spark of bravado. I gave her a small wink and Ahsoka's mouth dropped open.

I turned back around and chuckled quietly to myself as I walked back to my seat.

•◊•

For the rest of the class, we stayed in the gymnasium and there were long, lengthy poles being distributed to everyone. The students watched in awe as Waxer showed off some skills that he had developed with handling any speared object.

"Guns are our primary weapon, but when you're out on the battlefield, you need to be good with anything that comes your way." Cody tells us, walking between the rows.

Cody—the student—turned out to be a natural with a shotgun. Some other kids were immediate champions at archery or sword fighting and sparring.

It was somewhat amusing to watch all of the concentration that was etched on everyone's faces.

Needless to say, it was enjoyable.

I spun the pole around in my hands and began to slip it around my shoulders, behind my neck, in front of me, until it was nothing but a circling blur around my body.

"Showing off a bit too much, don't you think?" Ahsoka's voice brings me back down to the earth and I blinked in surprise, allowing the pole to snap at my nose.

I winced and dropped the pole, rubbing the bridge. "Not cool, Snips." I said and felt blood drop onto my fingers. "Nope…not cool." I said grouchily.

Ahsoka's mouth dropped open and she says, "You're not serious, are you? Your nose is actually bleeding? Sheesh…hold on a minute, I'll get a tissue."

I nodded, tilting my head back. Ahsoka returned and pressed the cloth into my hand. I gently wiped at the blood and said, "Next time, try not to distract me, huh?" I sniffed and stuffed the tissue in my pocket.

Ahsoka grimaced and said, "It's true, though! First you get on the mat and beat up some guy who's been in one of the best military schools, and now you're acting as though you've trained with the ninjas from the ancient times or whatever."

I smirked and kicked at the pole. "Hardly…it's just a bunch of practice from bar fights." I muttered. Ahsoka's eyes widened and she looked down at the floor. I blinked, realizing what I said and cringed. "Hey, look, it's not—"

"Trust me, Anakin…I know." Ahsoka whispers and she walked away from me.

•◊•

When I came out of the school, Ahsoka was seated on the bench, her feet swinging back and forth as she hummed along quietly to a song that was playing from her music player.

I smirked, looking at the ear-buds/montrals-buds (montrals-buds…wow,) sticking over her head like antennae.

Ahsoka didn't even see me coming until I had seated myself next to her. "What are you listening to?" I asked loudly and she jumps.

"Oh, nothing much…" She says lightly, not bothering to take off her montrals-buds. "Can I listen?" I asked, shifting myself to look down at her music player. Ahsoka smirked and says, "You can't exactly put these things," she pointed at her montrals-buds, "in your ears."

"Fine, take off the cord, then." I replied and quickly pulled it out before Ahsoka could stop me.

Ahsoka yelps and tries to take her montrals-buds away from me but the music was already pouring out.

Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone, I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run! You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess, it's a love story, baby, just say yes!

Ahsoka quickly yanked the music player away from me and my eyes bored into her back as she hurried away.

A/N: Yes, I know, I know, clone troopers appearing in this story, yay! It was a request from a friend of mine and I finally wrote it in...(I actually completed this story a while ago...so...sorry if ya'll don't get to see something that you really, truly wanted.) I also want to say something else...I'm not gonna be writing in my usual character rant today because first of all, I'm emotionally and mentally exhausted and I'm just really, really upset and tired. But I still want you guys to review...just please take ten seconds to write down what you thought. I know I sound pretty annoying to say that, but just ten seconds...please...? If not, well...*sighs* Thanks for reading, anyways. See ya'll later.