POV: Anakin Skywalker

Sweat dripped from every exposed part of my body. My tunic was stuck to my chest, as my pants were stuck to my legs. The boots didn't help with that situation, keeping the pants firmly in their place.

I skidded back across the training room, burning my knees against the floor. Vader was seriously beginning to exhaust me. He was telling me to charge at him, but he kept pushing me back with the Force. Ahsoka's voice whispered 'Relax, Ani' over and over in my head. She knew I was getting frustrated and I was about ready to snap.

I was just glad that she was training with me. I watched her run across the mats and do a jump followed by a spinning kick. Unfortunately, despite the amazing move she'd attempted to use, she was thrown back very harshly.

Vader felt no sympathy for using either of us and practice toys. I got up, breathing heavily.

I balled a portion of my anger up into energy and threw my hands out towards Vader. He hadn't expected me to use the Force on him, so I'd used that against him. He flew back against the wall and I quickly ran over to Ahsoka.

She had been tossed into a wooden crate and she hadn't moved since she'd been thrown. "Soka," I whispered, shaking her a little. She groaned, her eyelids tightening. "Are you okay?"

She slowly shook her head and I gently lifted her from the box. I lowered us both to the floor and I held her against me tightly. I looked at my left hand. Blood covered the palm and fingertips.

My eyes widened and I quickly pressed my hand back down on her side, putting pressure on it. "Vader, she's wounded."

"That's not my concern."

"You arrogant –"

"Ani –" Ahsoka's strangled voice whispered. Her eyes were slits as she stared up at me.

"Shh," I whispered. I kissed her lips and lifted her into my arms, carrying her bridal style out of the training room.

"We're still in session!" Vader called out.

"That's not my concern," I whispered, looking down at Ahsoka worriedly. She was more important than some psychotic bastard that wanted to train us in the ways of the dark side – failing in the process, by the way.

I walked all the way down to the medbay. The doors slid open and I quickly placed her on the medical bed. There was no droid in sight and I grew concerned. I was going to have to do this if there was no droid.

I began to rummage through the medical supplies as Ahsoka began to groan again. "Soka, hold your side. You're bleeding everywhere. There's no Force damn droid and I can't find a – got it. I've got some bacta."

I quickly went back to her. I moved her hands and placed the bacta on top of the wound, holding it against her tightly with my mechanical hand. She cried out and my heart instantly broke. Tears streamed her face and she reached out for me. I quickly grasped her hand in mine and she held it tightly. "It's not working," she whispered, breathing heavily.

I knew we had the ability to regenerate ourselves, but I wasn't sure if she'd learned how to do this yet. I triggered my regeneration and attempted to push it into her body to heal the wound. She gasped and arched her back slightly.

Her eyelids shut tightly once again and her mouth opened in a silent scream. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, rubbing her hand with my thumb. She closed her mouth and bit her lip, shaking her head.

After ten minutes, she had finally relaxed. I gently removed the bacta from her side. It was covered in blood, yet it had done nothing to help her. The wound was sealed with a slight scar.

I tossed the piece of cloth into the waste compartment before focusing on her completely. She reached out for me and I took her hand. "You did what you needed to do," she whispered, smiling weakly.

"I didn't want to hurt you in the process though, my love. I'm so sorry."

She pushed herself up with my help and threw her legs over the side of the bed. She pulled me closer to the point where I was standing between her legs. I put my hands on either side of her face and gently rubbed her beautiful, warm skin. Her hands were on my hips and she smiled widely. "I love you."

I gently kissed her nose. "I love you, too."

She reached up and ran her fingers through my sweaty hair.

The door hissed behind me as it slid open. Heavy footsteps crossed the threshold and I heard a frustrated sigh. I glanced over my shoulder to see Vader staring at us in a very disappointed manner. "What do you want?" I growled.

Ahsoka's hands were now resting on my shoulders, her weak attempt to keep me under control. I tried to stay calm, but I really wasn't in the mood to hear his insults that were directed towards my family. No, Ahsoka and I weren't married, but I was definitely thinking about proposing to her once things settled down… Regardless, Ahsoka and Ahso'kin were my family.

"You can't just walk out on a session. These are important trainings. If she's going to be a problem –"

"I love her! Don't you love Padme? If you truly did, you would understand why I'm this way," I said, turning to face him completely. "Ahsoka is my Padme. If she gets hurt, she's my first priority. Quite frankly, I don't give a damn what you have to say about it. Ahsoka's my world. If you take that away from me, you lose my help."

"We'll kill your daughter."

"Over my dead body, bitch."

Ahsoka jumped off of the bed and put herself between us, pushing me back. "Stop it! Both of you!"

Vader and I stared at her angrily. I couldn't help it. Vader was getting to me and Ahsoka was keeping me from satisfying the need to kill him. "I love you, Soka, but get out of the way, please."

"If you love me, you'll stop. Remember what I said to you."

"Be the better man," echoed in my thoughts. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"If you threaten to kill my daughter or take Ahsoka away from me, I will kill you."

"I won't hesitate to snap your bitch's neck," Vader replied.

I snapped and forced Ahsoka to let go of me. As much as I'd teased Ahsoka about being my bitch, it wasn't true. I loved her more than that and I wasn't about to let this clone get away with insulting her.

I used the Force and threw him back against the door. I slammed his face with my mechanical fist several times before throwing him to the left with the Force. Blood was dripping down the door and across the floor.

I held my hand out and began to clench my fingers, tightening the invisible hold on his neck.

A hand pressed against my back and I glanced over my shoulder. "This is your destiny." I gasped at the sudden appearance of my mother.

I released Vader and stumbled, falling to the floor. The first thing that crossed my mind – aside from the shock – was 'am I crazy?' My dead – very dead and gone – mother had just appeared in front of me, telling me that this was my destiny. My anger was my destiny?

If that were so, I didn't want that future. I didn't want my anger to get the best of me. That wasn't fair to Ahsoka or Ahso'kin.

Ahsoka's arms wound around my neck and her hands shook against my face and chest. Her left hand touched my chest and her right was on my left cheek. I felt her silent sobs going through her body. I turned to look at her over my shoulder.

When I looked into her fearful eyes, I knew I needed to fix my personality. I'd changed a lot for her and this was another part of that. I immediately began to shut my emotions down, allowing myself to feel empty. I closed myself within my body, locking her out of my thoughts as well.

I pushed myself up, pulling her up with me. Wordlessly, I grabbed her hand and began to drag her away from Vader. She held my hand tightly and struggled to keep up with me.

"Ani, stop," she whispered.

I obeyed and stopped, turning to face her. She put her hands on either side of my face and stared into my eyes. "Talk to me, please."

"No."

"I can't hear your thoughts. Don't do this. I want you to be open. This is part of you. I can't change you into someone –"

"You can change me and you did. I'm fixing myself for you. I'm going to be the better man."

"Not like this," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Don't shut yourself up. Your emotions are important to me. If you lock them up, you'll never be yourself."

"If I'm myself, I hurt you, Ahsoka. I can't watch you cry anymore. You've cried too much because of me. Now is the time to right what's wrong."

"There's nothing wrong with you!" she screamed. "I fell in love with you when you were doing drugs and drinking all the time! Do you really think I give a damn about what you think is wrong with your emotions? No! I don't! I love you for you! You're perfect because –"

Anger had released itself at the worst possible moment. "I am not perfect," I growled. "I'm nowhere near perfect. If anything, you deserve better than me. I might have gotten you pregnant, but you're not bound to Ahso'kin or me. You can leave if you want. I'm not your Master and you're not my slave. You're Ahsoka and I'm Anakin. I can't control your life."

"I am bound to you, Anakin. I gave myself up to you. I'm forever yours."

I growled and grabbed her a little too harshly, slamming her against a wall. "Did you not hear me? I just told you that you're free! You can leave me! I want you to be happy! This is your life!" I held her wrists tightly and breathed heavily in her face.

Her hands were balled into fists and she tried to give me a look of defiance as tears began to streak her cheeks. "I heard you," she whispered angrily. "Why don't you think I love you?"

"Because I'm not worth your time, Ahsoka. You're hardly ever happy when I'm around. I always hurt you and that's not fair to you."

"You always make me happy unless you're angry. Again with the hurting thing, it's the same. Despite the fact that you're angry a lot, I know you love me. You always tell me that you love me. Ahso'kin is a visual representation of our love, Ani."

My lips trembled at her words. I let her go and she hugged me tightly. "The good outweighs the bad," she whispered against my chest. "No matter what happens, you're stuck with me, Skyguy."

My emotions came back in a mass flood. I held her tightly and allowed myself to open up again. She dug her fingers into my back. "I love you."

I smiled despite the overwhelming dread I felt. I still felt unworthy of her love. "I love you," I whispered, kissing the side of her right montral.

We stood there in each other's arms for some time before she laughed lightly and wrapped her arms around me tighter. "There's no one else that could take your place, Anakin. Don't you ever forget that. You were my first love and you're still my only love. Don't let Vader tear you apart. I'm going to be here with you every step of the way."