"There, all done" Bant smiles bagging her last swab.

Anakin releases a breath, his tense body relaxing a little. Ar-Amu that was probably the most uncomfortable hour and a half of his life.

"You did really well Anakin" the Mon Calamari smiles holding out his robes.

He takes them with a thankful nod and quickly putting them on, "Thanks, can I go now?" he asks hopefully, wanting to get the kriff out of here and pretend this day never happened.

"Not just yet, the Coruscant Police need to have a word with you."

He frowns back, Windu said something about them early didn't he? But why are they here "Why?"

He can see his Masters friend visibly holding back from rolling her eyes, the same way his Master and all of his friends do when they think Anakin is being oblivious "They need to go over the details with you Ani. To press charges they need your statem-"

"Wait wait wait!" he raises his flesh hand, eyes widening in alarm "Who said anything about pressing charges? Sheev is my friend! I can't do that to him!"

There is no way in Sith-hell! Sheev is his friend, yes he hates that part of their relationship, but he is like family. Sheev is so kind and supporting with great advice, the Chancellor is one of the most important people in his life, he loves the man like family, he needs him. He can't turn on him like this.

Her eyes turn sad, "Anakin, you know that's just what he wants you to think. The Chancellor is not a good man Ani, he hurt you, You don't have to protect him."

Anakin shakes his head, pulling his brown robe on over his tunic "No you don't get it, Sheev-"

"Is a manipulative bastard" she cuts in, "Anakin I know you care about him but you have to recognise that anyone who would have sex with a child is not a good person. Look you've alright done the first step with the rape kit, if you-"

"Wait I thought that was just a exam? That was a kit?" Kriff, no, no...

Damn maybe he is oblivious... but its not like he's ever been ordered by the Council to be examined after...that before, how is he suppose to know the difference between whatever the normal tests are for that and a kit?

She holds back another eyeroll and smiles kindly at him, "No Ani that was a kit. And it is the first step, in pressing charges. You know Obi-Wan and all of us will help you through this."

Anakin grimaces, she doesn't get it. Sheev- she doesn't get it!

"You don't understand Bant" He gets up and moves out the door.

"Anakin!"

"Ani!"

"Knight Skywalker wait!"

He runs past Obi-Wan, Padmé and the cop, out of the Healing Halls and keeps going.

They don't get it, Sheev might hurt him but he loves him, that old man is family he can't press charges. He can't destroy his life like that.

He keeps running, going past a group of initiates, onto a balcony and jumps.

Anakin lands in an empty alleyway behind the Temple and leads against the wall.

Ar-Amu and the Force why?

Why did that damn reporter have to figure it out? He never wanted anyone to know, now everyone knows! His wife, his Master, even his Padawan are looking at him like he's broken. And they want to hurt Sheev, they want him to hurt Sheev.

Why can't everything go back to the way it was yesterday?

"General?"

He whips around at the familiar voice, Rex is walking towards him, helmet under one arm and concern on his face and in the Force around him.

"Rex" he jumps away from the wall, trying pull himself together "What are you doing here?"

The clone snorts "Half of the 501st just saw you jump out of the Temple, Sir." he steps closer "I wanted to make sure you weren't going to do something stupid."

He relaxes, "No, no stupid here. I just needed to think."

"Tough day Sir?"

Anakin snorts "Understatement." he lowers himself to the ground, sitting on the dirty concrete floor, "Everyone in there keeps telling me how I should feel, that I should hate Sheev, but..."

"But you can't" Rex nods, sitting down next to him, "You love him no matter how much he hurts you" there's something in his voice Anakin didn't expect...understanding?

Anakin looks at him in confusion and Rex sighs, "Jango Fett was a lot of things and none of them good. But he was the closes thing we had to a Buir. When I was five I managed to impress him in training and he moved me to the CC classes and took me for private lessons." he smiles darkly "I thought it was a dream come true, he was nice, let me call him Buir, taught me Mando'a and all kinds of tricks I never would of learned in CT or CC training" he grimaces "Other times it was like he was trying to forget I was sentient. The training would be hell, he'd glare and call me by my CT number, beat me into unconsciousness, then the next time I saw him it was like nothing happened, I was his ad again and I forgave him."

Anakin put a hand on his Captains shoulder, "I'm sorry."

Rex half smiles back, "It took me a long time after he died to realise just how kriffed up it all was. Gen-" he shakes his head, "Anakin, I get you don't know how to feel, that everyone is trying to tell you what to do. I'm not going to do that, pressing charges or not is your choice, no one else's" he smiles putting an arm around the nat-borns shoulders "I'll be here if you want to talk."

He leads into it, releasing a breath "Thanks Rex."

"SKYGUY!"

They both look up at the yell as the young Togruta jumps from the same balcony he did only half an hour ago, landing in front of them, "There you are!" she smiles despite the worry rolling off her, "We've been looking all over for you!" she raises a browline at Rex "I thought you said you would tell us if you saw him?"

"I lied" he replies with a shrug, "The General needed a minute."

"Fair" she nods, relaxing a little moving to sit down on his other side, "What's going on Master? Master Kenobi said you ran out after the kit like your ass was on fire."

Anakin frowns looking at his 15 year-old Padawan, she is too young for this, she shouldn't have to deal with a Master who was...with any of this stuff. "Yeah sorry Snips, it was just...a little too much" he admits, not sure what to say.

"Anakin" she sighs his name looking into his eyes pleadingly, "I get that I'm kid and you guys don't want me around this stuff but you're my Master and I want to help."

Anakin frowns, he can't tell her about this stuff there's no way...but he knows if it was Obi-Wan he'd hate being cut out and treated like a kid, he looks over to Rex, asking his opinion with his eyes.

"Its up to you Sir" Rex shrugs.

He sighs, "I just...I know you all want me to want to beat the Chancellor to Sith-hell and back, to treat him like the bad guy but I don't see him that way. He's my friend and I don't know if I can turn on him like you want me to."

She frowns, "I didn't think about that" she admits "You're right Master I know you, when you trust, love you put you're hole heart in it. The idea that one of us would abuse that trust isn't something you'd ever believe, I guess I didn't think about how the Chancellor is one of those people." Ahsoka pauses, staring into his eyes, "But Master he did betray that trust and he deserves to rot for hurting you."

"No" he shakes his head, "Look I know that stuff was wrong, I know that! But he's my friend and I can't turn on him."

She huffs, "Come on Skyguy! What would it take? You gotta figure this out, so what have I gotta do to help you here?"

What can she do? How would he know? He barely knows what's going on now. Force he wishes he could talk to Sheev, he always makes things easier to understand, a chat with him always helps Anakin work it out.

...that's it.

Anakin jumps up, his Padawan and Captain following him to their feet, confusion clear on their faces, "I need to talk to the Chancellor."