A/N: Thank you all for the support! Here's an update for your Wednesday, in honor of it being the middle of the week and I got my first lightsaber today :D

Summary: The explosion of the Sith Temple places Darth Vader and Ahsoka in a situation neither of them imagined possible. Now in an unfamiliar place that is eerily similar to Mortis, Darth Vader and Ahsoka must face the echoes of their past and work together to find their way back home.

Chapter Four: Through The Grapevine ½

By the time Ahsoka returned, the light was beginning to change from bright yellow to a soft orange hue. Vader was standing off to the side, he didn't need to look to know Ahsoka was there. Instead he continued to stare at the rushing water below, the sound filling him with a small sense of calm. Despite the calmness the water gave him, he was still angry that he could not call upon the Force, that he did not have a lightsaber, that he was trapped in Anakin Skywalker's body and forced to see someone from said Jedi's past.

He had been thinking over what Ahsoka had told him, about the Force Wielders wanting to test them. The thought of having to perform for some glorified Force users made his blood boil. However, although he hated to admit it, he knew he was going to have to play by their rules if he intended to return to Malachor and back to the Empire. A small, very faint voice in the back of his mind questioned this. Did he want to go back to Empire? Back to the Emperor? He did despise the Emperor, but he still had a his plans to overthrow him when the time was right. This didn't mean he had a desire to return to his master, however he knew staying here was out of the question.

An ache in his stomach followed by low-gurgle noise filled his ears. Astonished he looked down at his abdomen, where the slight pain and noise had come from. Hunger, he was hungry. The sensation was foreign, yet it was still familiar. He had felt hunger before, but due to his condition he had to use feeding tubes or nutrient IV's. Actually eating was not something he had done in years and his body had stopped growling and slight aching. This body however was not that way. A soft scoff awoke Vader from his thoughts. He turned around to see the Togruta looking at the fire wood stacked together, a smirk on her face.

"What," Vader asked, but his tone was demanding.

Ahsoka merely shrugged as she continued to start the fire. Her silence sent a pulse of irritation through Vader for reasons he couldn't explain. Initially he had expected her endless chatter to fill the silence, but instead she was quiet, pensive even. The more Vader thought about it, the more he came to realize just how different this Ahsoka was compared to the last time he had seen her. though he saw more of her seventeen year old self than he did the others, but it was still a pretty stark difference. Although he had changed more than she had over the years, her change was in the way she did things, how she handled herself was definitely different as well. He supposed that was the price of growing up.

"Do you think the fire is necessary," Vader asked as he approached her, "The smoke could alert others of our position and the light will make us a target."

Ahsoka looked at up at him, "The fire won't be big enough to send a smoke signal and it won't shine through all the trees. I'm not sure how much cooler it will be when the sun is gone, so having a small heat source is better than none. Besides, I don't think you could handle eating these babies raw."

Once she saw his confused expression, she realized he didn't know she caught them food.

"The squirrels," Ahsoka said, then pointed to the four of them laid against the tree just behind her, "I can eat raw meat without a problem. I know humans can if they have a certain organ to make it easier, which I know you don't have. So it's better cooked for your sake."

Vader said nothing.

Ahsoka returned her attention back to the fire, "We'll have to hunt and gather for each meal. You can hunt right?"

"Of course I do," Vader answered, Ahsoka could have sworn he sounded offended.

Ahsoka nodded, eyes on the growing fire, "Okay then, you can handle hunting tomorrow and I'll look for berries and fruit."

"Very well," Vader replied to Ahsoka's surprise.

For a man who was used to giving orders and telling other people what to do, he took her directions easily. Whether it because he didn't care or nostalgia, she wasn't sure, but it didn't matter. They couldn't pass their trials if they were starving and dehydrated. The two of them did not speak to each other the rest of the day. In silence they ate a few bites of their squirrel, but neither of them were eager to eat. It wasn't terrible tasting, but the day they had, had left the two feeling uneasy and drained.

Ahsoka leaned back against the tree trunk, her focus on the dimming fire that she had set up. Now that the sun was gone, the idea of sleeping had continued to float through her mind. She would have been lying if she said she wasn't tired, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep tonight. Not after the day she's had. Too much had happened.

"It would be best if we took turns to sleep and watch out for predators," Vader said out of nowhere.

Ahsoka found it strange how his voice sounded like her master, but very formal and stiff. Hearing his voice was a constant reminder that the man she knew was gone. It pierced her heart every time he spoke.

"I will take first watch," Vader went on when she didn't reply.

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes, not liking the idea of having to sleep near Vader. Even though he was virtually powerless without the Force or his lightsaber, she knew he could very well kill her while she slept. The idea of him killing her ached, but the memory of Malachor reminded her that it was more than possible. Likely the only reason he hadn't tried to kill her before was because of what she told him with the Daughter.

Vader, seeing the distrust and suspicion in her eyes said, "If I wanted to kill you, I would have already."

"You nearly killed me on Malachor," Ahsoka replied, hoping the bitterness in her voice would hide her pain, "What's stopping you now?"

"We need each other in order to get through this. As for Malachor, you chose that when you first refused my offer to give me the information I required, second when you returned to fight after I knocked you off the side of the temple," Vader replied matter-of-factly, but paused for a long time before continuing, "or third when you decided not to leave."

Ahsoka remembered her declaration. She had meant what she said then, that she would not abandon him a second time. Would she be able to keep that promise now? He had a point in saying that they needed each other in order to make it through the trials and return, but did that mean Ahsoka could rely on him? Would she be able to trust him again? Perhaps she could, but for now she wanted to keep her guard. Yet still, she felt herself soften at his words and reveled, slightly, in the fact that he had heard her. He had give her two chances in a way.

Vader noticed the Togruta's expression soften as her blue eyes fell to the dirt floor. His words had caused a small reaction in her, one that allowed her to relax slightly. With her guard down, even for the moment, he studied her. Despite the young teenaged body she was in, he could see the weariness on her. The haunted look in her darker eyes, how her shoulders were down from the burden she carried. Not to mention how fatigued she appeared. He could tell that she was exhausted, in all truth he was worn out as well, but he never slept much anyway.

"You should rest, it has been a long day for you Ahsoka," Vader said, his voice sounded almost gentle.

His words brought her all the way back to the second mission she had been on with Anakin.

Get some rest. It's been a long day for you little one.

Ahsoka didn't say anything in reply, instead she leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes willing herself not to cry. In a matter of a few minutes, she had fallen asleep. Vader watched her with a sorrowful gaze, although he didn't know it, his yellow eyes had flickered to blue.

Ahsoka couldn't breathe.

Explosions. Fire. Smoke. Blood. Death.

The cold stone floors came up under her, hands and knees pressed against the ground, tears slipping down her ashen face. The Force cried out to her, the death of so many people caused a tidal wave of pain to wash over her. Another explosion, more lives lost, more blood spilled. The sound of blasters firing followed by the shouting forced the young girl to look up with terrified blue eyes. Lined up in a row, the clone troopers stood with their boasters raised. Despite all the noise around her, the explosions, the screaming, she could hear them shout clear as day.

"They are traitors!"

"Kill the Jedi! Leave no survivors."

"No mercy!"

Kill them all.

Ahsoka couldn't move, her fear left her paralyzed in the middle of the fight. The familiar sound of lightsabers coming to life could barely be heard of the firing blasters, the cries of Jedi, the orders of the clones, the screams in the Force. Ahsoka fell onto her knees, her burning skin pressed against the cold stone floor as she struggled to get air into her lungs. How could this have happened? Jedi of different ages swung their lightsabers trying to deflect the shots, but they could only last for so long. And the youngest of them had no chance.

She looked over her shoulder and regretted the action instantly. Clone Troopers. Men she had fought with, men she had come to know and trust with her life…. we're attacking the innocent. She tried to stand, but she couldn't bring herself to move, it was as if she had no control over her body. She was forced to watch the Jedi fall, to watch as one by one they fell to the floor, the light leaving their eyes as their Force presence vanished. The Togruta cried out at the loss, her heart shattering in her chest, her lungs burning as more smoke entered her system. She forced herself to move.

Ahsoka ran as fast as she could, she knew this temple like the back of her hand and would find a way out. If not, then it would be over for her. The Togruta turned sharply into another hall only to stop in her tracks. Clone troopers stood at the other end, a trail of bodies separating them. Ahsoka turned around to run away, but her path was blocked by more troopers. She was trapped and there was nowhere for her to go. Two options, fight her way through or let them take her. All her life she had been told not to fear death, that death did not exist. Only the Force existed. Even though Ahsoka was not prone to fear, that didn't mean she was never afraid. Right now, trapped in the burning Jedi Temple with no way out, she was afraid that her time had come.

"Ahsoka," a voice said behind her, it was Anakin.

Ahsoka turned around to see Anakin, his hood pulled over his head as he stood in front of the clones. Relief washed over her, she might not have been able to fight all the clones by herself, but with Anakin she had a chance. The teen opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she saw her master's eyes. Glowing yellow eyes stared back at her.

"Anakin," Ahsoka whispered breathless.

Anakin didn't say anything. He walked over to her, the clones hadn't fired at her or her master which she knew wasn't a good sign. Suddenly, she was no longer in the burning Jedi Temple. The world around her began to fade away in darkness until it was just her and Anakin. All she could see was her master walking over to her, his amber yellow eyes never leaving her. The heat was pulled out of Ahsoka, she shivered noticeably when Anakin stood over her.

"Anakin," Ahsoka said tentatively, her blue eyes searching his amber ones.

Anakin held her gaze, "That is no longer my name. Do you know who I am? What I have become?"

Ahsoka wanted to step away, but her feet were glued to the ground. Darkness. Fear. Anger. Cold. Hate. Sorrow. It was all too much for Ahsoka to handle, it hurt too much. It can't be true.

"No, it's not you," Ahsoka stated, unshed tears in her eyes.

"Do you know what I have become," Anakin repeated, only this time his voice was darker.

It was no longer the caring voice she knew, or the one filled with sarcasm. His voice was cold, unfeeling and… mechanical. Darth Vader stood before Ahsoka now, all dressed in his black mask, cape and suit. This was not her master. This was a monster, a shadow of who she loved.

Ahsoka jolted awake, her heart hammering away in her chest as she struggled to get air into her lungs. Frantically she looked around to see she was still in the forest, the place she and Vader had been brought to. Vader, Anakin. Ahsoka sat up slowly, focusing on her breathing to try and settle her rapid heartbeat. Since she had left the order nearly a year before the Jedi Purge, she hadn't been at the temple when the clones attacked. She had been with Rex when it happened, just after the Siege of Mandalore and Maul's capture. That had been one of the more terrifying times of her life.

After they had escaped, staying out of sight was the only way to survive. She had remained hidden, not staying on a world for too long. Raada had probably been her longest stay. For a long time she lived in the shadows, hiding while others were left in the open. Ahsoka closed her eyes and released a shaky breath, the smell of fire and ash still fresh.

"Ahsoka," Ana- Vader said to her.

Ahsoka turned to look at him, he was sitting up looking at her with what she once would have described as concern. Only she wasn't sure if the concern was real or fake. Vader was not Anakin. Her master cared about her, this man, machine, did not. He had been there at the Temple, he had killed all the Jedi sparing none of them in his path. Ahsoka looked into his yellow eyes, the same yellow eyes she had seen in her nightmare.

It can't be true.

Recently Ahsoka learned that the man she loved like a brother had fallen so far to the dark side. During the Jedi Purge, she felt so many Jedi died in one fell swoop and her master had been of them. Yet that hadn't been the case, he was alive, just under a different name with a new face. There are other ways people can die.

"Are you okay," Vader asked uncertainly when she didn't reply.

Ahsoka swallowed, "Fine. Just fine."

"Liar," Vader stated, "It would be easier if you would tell the truth now, otherwise it will come out later."

Ahsoka forced herself to level his gaze, "Is that a threat?"

"A statement, the truth always comes out," Vader replied unfazed.

Ahsoka looked away first, she couldn't argue with him on that. The truth would always find a way out. The truth about him had found its way to her despite never having asked the question out loud, without ever being told by anyone. That day on the Ghost, she had reached in the force to see who was this Sith and he attacked her. There was a flicker in the bond she had with Anakin Skywalker. That was the first moment she realized something was off about the one called Darth Vader, the first lead she had in learning what happened to her master. Ahsoka leaned back against the bark tree, the weight of it all seemed to force her to sink into herself a bit. The words of the daughter hit her.

Accept something you deny.

When Ahsoka had been putting the clues together, she hadn't believed them, she couldn't believe them. Even on Malachor she couldn't believe it. Was this what the Daughter meant? This is what she had been denying? That Anakin wasn't dead, but Vader?

Ahsoka looked at Vader then, whose face was Anakin's. Years ago, Anakin Skywalker had been standing right in front of her, giving her back her lightsabers that he repaired. Fifteen or sixteen years ago, she had a big brother. After all this time she thought he was dead, that he too had been killed in Order 66, but he hadn't been. He had been involved, he had stormed the Jedi Temple and killed every Jedi Master, Knight, Padawan and Youngling in his path. No amount of denial would ever change that. Sith yellow eyes met her gaze, eyes that didn't belong on his face, she felt her heart break again.

"I never believed it was you behind that mask," Ahsoka said, her voice hollow and distant, "Anakin Skywalker had been killed with all the other Jedi, but he hadn't been exactly. It was you. All this time, it was you and I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe that you…. I didn't want to believe that this was what you had become... But this, Darth Vader is what you had become."

Ahsoka tore her eyes away from him, tears burning her eyes that she knew she couldn't shed. What had happened to cause this? How could he, the mentor she looked up to, who called her Snips for her attitude, who gave her back her lightsabers, turn into Darth Vader days later? How could they have been the same person yet completely different? Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader, nothing could ever change that. She couldn't deny it anymore.

The dimming fire before them burst to life, the flames shot up as tall as the tree illuminating the dark night. Vader and Ahsoka jumped to their feet in surprise, ready to fight or run. Pure energy filled the air, the force was present here.

The tall stream of fire glowed brighter, then the top moved sharply down and swirled around the Togruta. Ahsoka, like a frightened child, looked out to her former master, even reached her hand towards him in fear. She was surprised he had reached back and called her name in response. For a moment she saw fear on his face, whether it was from the flames or for her safety, she couldn't tell. The flames rose higher, blocking her view of Vader and beyond what she could jump on her own. With the force she likely would have been able to made it, but her physical strength alone in this body wouldn't be enough. Heat warmed up her skin, the hot air filled her lungs.

Vader hated feeling powerless, he hated when he was unable to stop something from happening. With the force he likely would have had a way to give her an opening to escape the fire's touch, but he was on his own and there was not enough water to put them out. However he couldn't just do nothing, he couldn't just stand there and let the flames take her like they almost took him years ago.

He justified caring whether or not she lived because the Force Wielder said that he would need her to get home, if she perished here then he wouldn't get back to the Empire. That was the only reason he cared, he would not say or think otherwise. The swirling flames had risen to the height of the trees once again, Vader saw flashes of purple, blue and green mixed with the orange and yellow flames. Then, he noticed the tower of flames was getting smaller, it was going to consume her and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Ahsoka stood in the center of the swirling flames, the heat radiating around making her uncomfortable and she couldn't control the overwhelming feeling of fear despite the calm aura of energy in the air here. She looked up to see the opening above had closed, she really had no way out of here. Flashes of green, purple and blue flames appeared around her, the pulse of the fire reminded her of a heartbeat. Then streams of the different colored flames reached her.

"No," Ahsoka cried out,getting on her knees and trying to cover her head.

She felt the stitches in her arm tear at the sharp movement, but she could barely focus on the feeling when the flames touched her. Hot, unbearable pain is what she expected to feel, but she was surprised to find it didn't hurt at all. And the next breath she took, she could feel the Living Force in air she took in. Bright light glowed from her skin, she no longer felt the discomfort of the heat around her, but it felt like a warm embrace. In a burst of energy, the tower of flames vanished and the force flowed out of her in a push causing the nearby trees to shake and Vader to fall to his knees.

When Vader recovered, he looked up to see Ahsoka collapsed on the ground. Not wasting a second, he rushed over to her. On one knee, he lifted her upper body up so that her head rested on his thigh. No longer was the lanky child before him, but she looked more like she had the second half of the war. She looked the same as she did the day she left him at the temple, even had the same outfit on.

"Ahsoka," he said to her sternly, "Ahsoka!"

Ahsoka opened her eyes just enough for her to see him. Disoriented, she stared up at him. She forgot this was Vader, she forgot where she was and who exactly she was with. For these few moments as her consciousness was present, she felt like she was with her master on the battle field again.

"Master," she whispered as darkness clouded the edges of her vision, "I can feel the force again. I can feel you."

Then her eyes closed and she went limp in his arms