Chapter 16

"Darla, I want to try something," Ahsoka says.

Darla raises an eyebrow.

Ahsoka closes her eyes, her crutches falling to the floor as if in slow-motion.

"Ahsoka, what are you trying?" Darla asks.

Her eyes still closed, Ahsoka shakily takes a step forward. Then another, more confident step. The next step she begins to fall, but rights herself.

"What'd you do different?" Darla asks.

"I focused the Force. Instead of using it to move objects, I used it to hold me steady," Ahsoka replies.

"So, you can use it to walk?"

"I can use it as a crutch."

Darla looks away for a few moments before meeting Ahsoka's eyes, "Ahsoka? Can I ask you something? Something personal?"

Ahsoka nods.

"If you had the chance to go back to your galaxy, would you take it?" Darla asks.

"What?" Ahsoka replies.

"If you could go back to your galaxy, before Order 66, would you?" She repeats.

"I— I don't know. Why are you asking me this?"

Darla's eyes lock with Ahsoka's, Darla's eyes appearing deeper than they should've been.

"Just food for thought, dear," Darla replies.

Tossing her crutches in James's backseat, Ahsoka shivers.

A voice but a mere whisper on the wind, "Ahsoka."

Ahsoka snaps her head around in the direction of the voice. Nothing. Ahsoka gets in the car, silently pondering the recent events.

"Okay, the game's up, what's wrong?" James asks.

"Nothing's wrong, just thinking."

"Yeah, I've heard that one before. Let's hear it," James states.

"It's really nothing, just something Darla said," Ahsoka answers.

"What'd she say?"

"James, I really don't want to talk about this," Ahsoka insists.

"C'mon, how bad could it be?"

"Fine. If I could go back to my galaxy before Order 66, she asked if I would."

James looks back out over the road, not willing to meet her eyes.

After several long minutes James finally asks, "And? Would you?"

"I don't know. I had so much then, but I have so much now. So few problems now."

Once again walking through the fog, Ahsoka shivers at the licks of cold air against her skin.

Then she hears it again, the whisper, "Ahsoka."

There, standing amongst the fog, is the Daughter.

"Why am I here?" Ahsoka asks.

"Your time fast approaches. You have done well, but your body is weak," The Daughter says.

"Am I dying?" Ahsoka asks, a hint of fear in her voice.

The glowing figure smiles, "No child, quite the opposite. Your injury was a necessary one. Without it you would not be as you are."

Growing frustrated, "Yeah, no shit. I can't hardly even walk by myself."

"But you have learned that the Force is more than it appears. With time you will learn to lean into the Force, to be consumed by it, as I will teach you."

"But why? Why do I need to be 'consumed' by the Force?"

Ignoring Ahsoka's question, "Tonight, you learn to walk."

Ahsoka slaps the top of her alarm clock. She swings her legs over the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes.

Stepping out of the bathroom Ahsoka's greeted by a wide-eyed James.

After a quick check to make sure she's clothed, "What?" Ahsoka asks.

"You're walking?" James questions.

"Huh?" Ahsoka says, taking a few moments to catch up.

"I'm walking. James, I'm walking!" Ahsoka walks away from him and then back to him, pulling him into a hug, "I can walk!" Ahsoka kisses him before running outside.

Rex pats James on the back as he walks past, James frozen in place.

From behind the bathroom door, "That answer your question, James? Or does it need to be spelled out further?"

Ahsoka stares out at the road ahead of her, determined to beat James and Macy to the school. On foot.

"Ahsoka, you probably shouldn't push yourself this early," James says.

"Hush. Are you ready or not?" Ahsoka replies.

James shakes his head, him and Macy climbing into the car.

Rex steps forward, counting them down, "Two, one, go!"

Ahsoka leaps forward as a blur, laughing as she feels the wind rushing past her lekku and montrals. She lands her first jump in a roll with a chasm-like smile, inhaling as she takes her next leap.

Soon the school starts to come into view, James's car not far behind her. Determined not to lose, Ahsoka breaks out into a sprint.

Ahsoka looks up to see James pulling up in front of her, dropping Macy off.

"You look like you need a ride," James says.

Ahsoka nods, her hands on her knees, out of breath.

"Over-exert yourself a little?" James asks.

Ahsoka flips him off, "Just shut up and drive."

"Well, seeing as to how your car still has all four tires, I guess Ahsoka won the race?" Rex asks.

"Of course, I did. Undefeated champion you're talking to here. I just… I just need some water," Ahsoka says.

"She may have overdone it," James says, sitting across from Rex.

"I'd be careful saying the O-word around her," Rex replies.

"Hey cheesecakes, we got any bacon around here?" Ahsoka asks, digging through the fridge.

"Second drawer, as always," James says.

"Did you talk to her yet?" Rex asks.

"What?" James responds.

"You heard me," Rex states.

Before James can say anything Ahsoka sits with them, bacon sizzling, "So. What are you two jackwagons talking about?"

"Uh…" James looks to Rex for help.

Rex holds his hands out toward James, "James has something he needs to tell you."

"Oh yeah?" Ahsoka turns back to James, sucking a piece of raw bacon into her mouth like spaghetti, Rex leaving them alone.

James laughs, "Yeah… Uh…" James clears his throat.

"C'mon Christmas, we don't have all day," Ahsoka tells him.

James clears his throat again, "Ahsoka, over the last year I've started to develop feelings, feelings for you, and that I like you as more than a friend. Do you maybe want to get dinner sometime? As a date?"

"You sounded like you were having a stroke," Rex comments from the background.

"Shut it, Rex," Ahsoka orders over her shoulder.

"I would love dinner. Took you long enough, I've been waiting months," Ahsoka says.

"Told you so," Rex says, walking back in.

"And I told you to be quiet," Ahsoka says.

Author's Note: Well, that chapter took long enough. But school started and excuse one, two, three, here we are a long time later. But I did get it done. I also finally wrote down the time skip sum in my notes so I can stop re-reading and re-adding every time I try to write a chapter. Also, I got an idea while writing this for a sequel, or maybe new story altogether, or maybe just a continuation of this story.

If any of you have questions about writing or how to start a story, just PM me or leave a review while logged in, I'll get back to you as soon as I see it, I'm always excited to help people start writing.

Every time you walk your skeleton is stepping on your skin.

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