A/N: Well... If the last chapter was fluffy and cute, then THIS chapter is practically the opposite. No fluff. Not cuteness. Lots of angst. So, basically, my cup of tea :D

I hope you enjoy! xx

"Do you think they want to tell us about the pregnancy?" Padme whispered in Anakin's ear as they sat in the backseat of his mother's car. Normally, Anakin would have just walked the few blocks to Ben's house, but Cliegg had insisted that they drive, afraid that the walk would be too much for Shmi, for she was fatigued most of the time now due to the chemo treatments. Since the ride was for his mother's benefit, Anakin didn't really mind.

Shrugging his shoulders, Anakin just frowned sullenly. "No idea." He couldn't care less whyBen wanted them over for dinner. Because whatever meagre reason he had would just force Anakin to lie even more to his loved ones right in front of them, and for that, he couldn't forgive him. He just wanted this night to be over with as soon as possible.

Padme clicked her tongue, picking up on his attitude and raised an eyebrow at him. "Ani, what's your problem? You've been in a weird mood all day. Is something wrong? "

Anakin flicked his gaze over at his girlfriend and then quickly looked down at his lap. "I haven't got a problem," he snapped, curtly.

Her small hand snuck across to his knee to squeeze it, but he jerked it away brusquely. "Ani, don't – " she said, firmly, keeping her voice hushed.

"Quit nagging me, Padme," he bit back through clenched teeth, his eyes flicking to the front seat to make sure his mother wasn't watching. "It's getting on my nerves."

Huffing, Padme crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him, crossing her legs and half turning her back to him to stare out the window. "You're getting on my nerves, Anakin!" she hissed under her breath. "Something's bothering you. I know there is, and you're not telling me. I'm not stupid, you know!" She locked her jaw and stared determinedly out the window.

"Never said you were – "

"Well, you're treating me like I am! What isit that you won't tell me?" She whipped her head around to glare at his profile.

He raised his head to look at her and frowned at the unimpressed expression on her face. Her eyes were narrowed into slits and her lips pursed into a thin line. In that moment, he wanted to tell her everything, wanted to get it all off of his chest. Anakin hated fighting with her like this, lying to her, disappointing her. But, he couldn't. He couldn't tell her. It was bigger than him, bigger than her… if the truth came out, it could destroy everything. And, Anakin couldn't risk putting his Angel's life in danger like that.

So, he lied. Again.

"I'm just really tired, Angel, okay?" he muttered quietly, hoping the use of his affectionate nickname for her would soften her resolve. "I had a terrible sleep last night, and I don't really feel like socialising with everyone tonight. Okay?"

Padme slumped her shoulders and sighed heavily. "You didn't have to snap at me, y'know. I was just worried about you, Ani."

He reached over to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, and twining their fingers together. "I know. It wasn't fair of me to take it out on you, and I'm sorry." He leaned over to kiss her cheek softly, rubbing his nose gently along her jaw, feeling incredibly guilty for lashing out at her. But, he'd never been very good at keeping his emotions in check, and all of this lying and secrecy was causing a deep rage to boil below the surface of his skin. It was almost too much for him, and the anxiety he felt about this dinner with Ben was only adding more fuel to the furnace. Honestly, if he could have skipped it, he would have.

If Padme accepted his apology, she didn't say anything, and spent the remainder of the short car ride staring glumly out of the window. Her hand remained in his, though, which gave Anakin some sort of comfort, but he knew that she hadn't forgiven him just yet. A glum silence settled in between them for the rest of the drive, but Anakin was somewhat grateful for it. At least he didn't have to lie to her if they were silent. Still, he was glad when they pulled up out front of Ben's house, parked, and climbed out of the car. The early evening air felt good on his flushed skin, and he took several calming breaths as they headed up the walkway to the front door.

Cliegg rang the doorbell, and Satine opened the door enthusiastically, glowing with happiness as only a pregnant woman can. She beamed at them brightly, her pale blue eyes sparkling and welcomed them all cheerfully into their home. Though Anakin knew she was three months along in her pregnancy, she was barely showing; her long, flowing white maxi dress adorned with elegant floral patterns of blues and purples concealing the tiny bump he could only just notice. He had a gut feeling, Satine would be one of those women whose body hardly changed while she was pregnant, and he suspected she would retain her tall, willowy build even into the ninth month. There was just this air of grace and elegance about her, as though she was royalty, and Anakin couldn't begrudge Ben for quickly falling in love with her, even if he was married to someone else.

As Satine ushered them inside the foyer graciously, a flash of dark hair suddenly flew downstairs and stopped abruptly before Anakin.

"Anakin!"

His eyes quickly refocused to see Ahsoka standing before him. She'd grown taller again, since the last time he'd seen her at Christmas, and her figure suddenly held more feminine curves. A small diamond stud glittered on her outer left nostril, there was a silver stud in the middle of her ear, and the tips of her black hair were dyed blue, and he noted the presence of makeup on her eyes and lips and cheekbones, something she hadn't really worn before. He was surprised to see such dramatic changes on her young face, but at least her large, turquoise eyes remained the same; wide, round and innocent. Eyes…he suddenly realised, she'd inherited from her father.

Their father.

Anakin knew he took after his father in appearance; where his mother was brunette and brown-eyed, Anakin had always been blonde and blue-eyed. He could recall many times where Shmi would tuck him into bed as a child and stroke his hair, murmuring softly how beautiful he was, 'just like your father'. Anakin hated that he resembled his father, knowing that it probably only broke Shmi's poor heart every time she looked at him, reminded her of the horrible life she had lived while being married to him. But, it seemed, his father's genes were strong, for although Ahsoka looked Latina, she had those same, Skywalker light blue eyes…just like Anakin.

How had he never seen it before? Now that he knew, it was amazing that he'd never put two and two together before.

As he looked at her, he was suddenly gripped with fierce emotion. Sister. She was his baby sister. And even though he'd always thought of her like that, it suddenly seemed more real…more, definitive. They were literally the same flesh and blood… well, almost, and despite how angry and upset he was at Ben for keeping something so monumentally important from him all these years, he couldn't help but feel a sense of…joy, too. For years, he'd thought he'd been alone in the world, with Shmi as his only blood family. But now…now he had a sister.

"Jeez, Skyguy, I know it's been a few months since we've seen each other, but I didn't think you'd actually forget what I looked like!"

His attention was instantly brought back to the teenaged girl in front of him, and he smirked at the way she stood with her hand on her cocked hip and one eyebrow raised, questioningly.

"Huh?" he spluttered, unceremoniously, shaking his head.

"Quit staring at me! I haven't changed that much, god. You're looking at me like I've suddenly grown horns on my head!" A teasing smirk lifted the corners of her lips, and Anakin couldn't help but return it.

"Sorry, Snips. Guess I just forgot what you looked like, seeing as it's been so long. How old are you again? Ten?" He couldn't help teasing her.

Ahsoka gave a dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes, fixing him with a pout, though he could tell that she was partially amused. "I'm fifteen, you jerk," she punched him none-too-gently in the arm.

Suddenly, he was filled with a strong need to hug her, and he reached out and caught her arm as she withdrew it from her punch, and pulled her into his chest, enveloping her in a crushing bear hug. At first, she was surprised by his action, but soon her arms went around his waist and she hugged him back. Anakin rested his chin against the top of her head and mumbled softly, "It's so good to see you, Snips."

"You, too," she whispered into his chest, so quietly that only he could hear it.

They broke apart after a few moments, and Anakin was surprised at the tears that were welling up in his eyes. So was Padme, for she took his hand in hers and blinked up at him in question, a look of mild concern on her face. Unable to explain himself (lest he give anything away), he just shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, and gave her a small smile. She gently squeezed his hand, which he reciprocated, and they turned to look at everyone else.

Ben suddenly appeared from the back of the house to stand beside Satine, his arm snaking around her waist affectionately. Anakin froze at the sight of him, his face hardening into a scowl and his hands clenching into fists. A tight grimace pulled at his lips as he all but glared at the man who had, only a few short days ago, completely ruined his life. Of course, Anakin knew he'd had to keep it a secret… it was his job. He'd done it to protect Anakin and his family, and for that, at least, Anakin was grateful. But, Anakin still couldn't help but feel betrayed. He had to wonder to himself: could he trust Ben anymore? Were they even friends anymore? He wasn't sure.

Everything was different now.

Suddenly, their eyes locked, sea-green met bright blue, and a sort of silent conversation passed between them, undetected by the others present. Anakin noticed the clear despair in those sea-green eyes, and could almost hear Ben's apology in the silence. "I'm sorry, Anakin," his eyes told him. "Please forgive me." And, as much as Anakin wanted to, wanted to forgive and forget and cast everything aside, he found he couldn't. Not yet anyway, and if he was honest, he didn't know if he ever would. He'd have to keep this wretched secret until the threat of his past had totally disappeared, and there was simply no telling when that time would come, if ever in his lifetime.

He felt a deep pang of sorrow unexpectedly at the thought.

After a moment, Ben looked away and greeted the rest of his guests, thanking them for attending at such short notice. Shmi beamed and shook her head, handing over a bottle of an imported Australian red wine they'd stopped at a wine shop to purchase on the way over.

"Nonsense, Obi-Wan! It was lovely to be invited for dinner. It's been too long. Thank you both for having us."

Satine took the bottle from Shmi and smiled warmly, before giving it to Ben. "Thank you so much, Shmi. But, I'm afraid only Obi will be able to drink this. I'm not supposed to drink alcohol at the moment."

"Oh? How come?"

Satine and Ben shared a secret smile with each other, before Satine placed a hand over her belly, where the tiny evidence of her baby bump showed under her flowing dress. "Well, Obi and I are expecting a baby!" The tall, blonde mother-to-be positively beamed, as Ben leaned over and gently kissed her temple, a small smile continuing to play on his lips.

An outburst of excited cries and cheers erupted from both Shmi and Padme – the latter of whom was only pretending to be surprised as per Anakin's instructions – and they gathered around Satine, hugging her fiercely and inquiring about the pregnancy and wishing the parents-to-be all the best. Cliegg stepped over and heartily shook Ben's hand, slapping him good naturedly on the back in congratulations. Anakin stood back, keeping his eyes squarely on Ben, as the rest of the family smothered Satine in affection. The man blinked a few times, clearly uneasy, and then shook his head, and returned his focus to his lover. As Anakin watched him, he was surprised by the fondness and love clearly evident in the older man's expression, as he gazed upon the mother of his unborn child. Ben truly loved Satine, Anakin knew, and regardless of the current…tension between them, he knew that Ben would make a wonderful father. After all, he had to admit, he'd guided and cared for Ahsoka very well all these years.

"When is the baby due?" Shmi asked with a broad smile on her face.

With her hand still resting on her stomach, Satine replied, "Late September."

Shmi placed her hand on Satine's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Well, congratulations! To both of you. The two of you will certainly be wonderful parents! Won't they, Ani?"

The mention of his name made Anakin return from his inner thoughts, and he quickly gave a curt nod of his head and the best smile he could muster, given his current bitter attitude. "Uh, yeah. 'Course. Congratulations."

Satine glanced over at him, and Anakin had never seen such despair in her eyes before. Such misery. She must have known – about his… confrontation with Ben. Of course, she would. Ben might have lied to Anakin for most of his life, but he and Satine were partners. They were both charged with watching over him and his mother and Ahsoka. Obviously, he would have told her. Still, it didn't make it any easier on Anakin knowing that. Seeing Satine regard him with such – was that pity? – made him feel utterly wretched. She'd always been such a kind and gentle woman. He hated that he was disappointing her, hurting her, like this. In that moment, he dearly wished Ben had never told him the truth.

Soon, everyone migrated into the dining room, the women chattering on about the baby all the while, and everyone took their seats while Satine went back into the kitchen to check on dinner. Anakin had to admit, whatever was cooking certainly smelled delicious. Ben opened the bottle of red wine Shmi had brought over and went to pour all the adults a glass while telling Ahsoka to go get a Coke from the fridge. Anakin declined, though, opting for a glass of ice water instead. He liked white wine just fine, but he hated red wine with a passion, and while he could definitely go for a scotch on the rocks at the present moment – to help him cope with the tumultuous emotions coursing inside him, he decided against that idea.

It grew silent again, as Anakin, Padme, Ahsoka, Shmi, Cliegg and Ben took their seats at the dining table and waited for Satine. Anakin didn't want to speak. Not to anyone. He just wanted to sit in silence for the rest of the evening, eat his meal quickly, and pretend that he wasn't even there, and then lose himself for the rest of the night in making love to Padme when they returned home in order to simply forget about the entire thing. Ben, however, as their host, was of a totally different opinion, and started up small talk with Padme immediately, inquiring about her studies.

"So, Padme, how are things at Harvard? You'd almost be finished about now, wouldn't you?"

Nodding vigorously, Padme smiled happily, her brown eyes lighting up with what Anakin could only describe as excitement. "Yes! I graduate in early June! So, two more months! I can't hardly wait!" The way she said it, almost bouncing in her seat from eager anticipation made Anakin smile with pride. He knew how terribly stressed she was, how much her final semester was taxing on her, and also how keen she was to finally graduate. She'd been studying almost nonstop at Harvard since she'd graduated from her private boarding school, going straight into her double degree of Political Science and Communications, which she was completing at an Honours level. Though tremendously proud of her, he realized with sudden clarity that she desperately needed a break – a holiday, before jumping full steam into a job search. Maybe someplace warm and exotic, he mused privately. Some much needed time away from work and school where she could just rest and relax for a good week or two…

Ben smiled kindly at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling with fondness, a grin creasing his lips. He'd always liked Padme, Anakin knew. Ben truly respected her and thought she was a good influence on him, which wasn't wrong – since he'd been with her, Anakin had changed so much as a person, and definitely for the better. And for that, he couldn't thank her enough. She truly was an angel in his eyes, that way. His Angel.

"How exciting! So close!" Ben exclaimed. "Do you have any plans for after graduation? Anything you've set your sights on?"

Almost immediately, Anakin noticed the sudden change in Padme's expression; from hope to something resembling despair. Her eyes dropped quickly, glancing down at her lap, and she nervously took a sip from her wine glass. Next to her, Anakin could practically hear the gears turning in her head, whirring at a thousand miles an hour. Instinctively, he reached over under the table and placed his hand on her thigh, giving it an encouraging and affectionate squeeze.

"Uh…well, not exactly. I'm still…figuring things out." She glanced frantically at Anakin as she said the words, and he soothed her with a sweet smile and another affectionate squeeze of her thigh.

Ben nodded. "Of course. It's always quite daunting to think about life after college, isn't it? There's so many directions your life can take. So many options suddenly available to you," he said wisely, clasping his hands together on the table. Anakin gritted his teeth in irritation. Ben had no idea what he was talking about. He'd never been to college…Obi-Wan Kenobi had been to college, but that person didn't actually exist.

"Or, no options at all…" Padme muttered under her breath, stricken with sudden worry.

Chuckling, Ben just shook his head. "Don't worry, Padme. You're a bright, intelligent young woman, and a hard worker to boot. You'll be snapped up pretty quickly, I'd reckon."

Unable to stop himself, Anakin frowned and blurted out rudely, "And what would you know about it?"

Ben coughed and fixed Anakin with an ice cold glare, while Padme, Shmi, and Cliegg all stared at him incredulously. Ahsoka's eyes widened in surprise, and she shot a furtive glance between Anakin and Ben, but she didn't say anything.

"Anakin! I'm surprised at you!" Shmi cried out, her eyes accusatorial, clearly shocked to hear her son speak that way. "Obi-Wan studied philosophy at Cambridge! I'm sure he is very knowledgeable about college experiences! You should listen to him!"

With a good-natured laugh, Ben shook his head and smiled. "It's alright, Shmi. Anakin has a point. I didn't exactly find a job in my field of study after I finished my philosophy degree, after all. Perhaps my advice isn't something either Padme or Anakin should listen to."

Anakin had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at the smooth response. Obviously, Ben was very, very good at his job. He seemed to have an explanation and answer for everything. Good save.

"Obi, dear?" Satine's voice floated in from the kitchen.

Ben lifted his head immediately at the sound of her voice, turning his head toward the kitchen door. "Yes, love?"

"Could you come and help me get the lamb out of the oven, please? It's too heavy for me to lift!"

"Of course, love! Coming!" He excused himself from the table and hurried into the kitchen to help her, leaving an uncomfortable silence at the table.

Seated at his right hand, Padme fixed Anakin with a fierce scowl and leaned over toward him and muttered under her breath. "What was that all about?"

Grumbling at yet another pestering question, he turned his head away from her. "What?!"

The expression on her face made him shrink in his seat as she glared stubbornly at him, lips set into a firm grimace, dark eyes flashing in annoyance. "Why were you so rude to Obi-Wan? He was just being nice, trying to make me feel better about graduation! What is wrong with you tonight?!"

"I told you," he hissed under his breath, his own eyes darkening with anger. "I don't want to be here! I'd rather be at home, with you…"

Scoffing, Padme rolled her eyes. "If you think I want to be with you when you're in this foul of a mood, you're in over your head!"

"Right, like you're never moody," he bit back with a snarky remark.

"Don't you dare start! Not in public, Anakin! Stop acting so immature! Sometimes, being an adult means doing things you don't want to but have to do anyway."

Scowling, Anakin stared down at his lap, more irritated than ever. "I don't need a lecture from you, Padme. Just leave me alone, will you?!"

"Fine! I will!" she huffed and shifted her body so that she was angled away from him, presenting him with a partial view of her upper back. Anakin felt bad that they were fighting - and that he instigated it, but he was simply too frustrated and angry and emotional to do anything about it. Being here, in this situation, when his emotions were still raw, was just too much for him. All he wanted to do was go home.

Ben and Satine returned a few minutes later, carrying the tray of herbed roast lamb, sautéed potatoes, roasted butternut squash, steamed fresh broccoli in a butter sauce, and a basket of fresh, warm ciabatta bread with olive oil for dipping. The delightful aroma of rosemary and garlic quickly filled the room and brightened Anakin's mood just a little – for he was certainly a lover of good food, and Satine, he knew, was a fabulous cook. Polite small talk erupted around the table as they helped themselves to the hearty meal, with Ben inquiring after the wedding, and Cliegg praising Satine for her exquisite culinary skills. Padme pleasantly joined in the conversation; however, Anakin – and Ahsoka, he noticed as he glanced beside him to his left – uttered not a single word the entire meal.

Surprised by her unusual meekness, Anakin studied Ahsoka as he ate. There was an air of misery hanging about her, in the way she picked at her food and stared at her plate with a glum expression. Concern for her filled him, and he tried to start conversation with her, but she hardly responded, giving no indication of what was bothering her. Anakin was worried. Despite the fact that she'd insisted she hadn't changed much, Anakin almost didn't recognise her. The Snips he'd known at Christmas – feisty, vibrant, sarcastic… childlike, had been replaced by this solemn, gloomy, darker version that Anakin didn't like at all. The surprising changes in her appearance… they were the outward mark of something much greater going on inside, some inner turmoil that she was facing, and trying to hide…and Anakin vowed to get to the bottom of it, his big brother instincts instantly kicking into high gear.

He vaguely wondered if she knew…if Ben had told her the truth. No, probably not. Anakin assumed she didn't know, because honestly, she was so much like himself, if she'd discovered she'd had a brother all this time that she'd not known about before, she would have run to him immediately and told him so. The thought that Ben hadn't told Ahsoka about her true parentage angered Anakin to no end. It wasn't right to keep that big of a secret from her. She was old enough to know. She deserved to know the truth.

Once dinner was over and everyone had polished off their dessert of homemade chocolate lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream served with coffee, Satine stood up and began to clear away the empty plates, when Ben stopped her, kissing her cheek fondly. "Don't be silly, love. You sit down and look after yourself. You did all the cooking, after all. I'll clear the plates."

Rolling her eyes, Satine smiled. "Now that I'm pregnant, Obi treats me like I'm an invalid," she explained in mock-exasperation. "I'm not allowed to do anything by myself anymore, it seems."

Ben frowned at her, seriously. "You've got enough to do, love. You're nurturing our baby. The least I can do is make sure you're well taken care of."

The exchange was sweet, even Anakin had to admit, but his current position with regard to Ben was unchanged, chivalrous attitude or not.

"Ani, can you please be a dear and help Obi-Wan with the plates?" Shmi asked him with a pointed look.

Not wanting to upset his mother, Anakin nodded his head respectfully in affirmation with a quiet, "Yes, Ma'am," and helped to gather the empty plates, as Satine, his parents, and Padme left the table and drifted into the living room. He followed Ben into the kitchen, a deep scowl on his face. The entire dinner had been a charade, some desperate attempt to appeal to Anakin's emotions and make it seem like Ben was doing the right thing. But, Anakin was over it, and he said as much once in the relative privacy of the kitchen.

"Are you done now?!" Anakin growled angrily, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning up against the wall. "Are you pleased with your little charade tonight?"

With a frown, Ben turned around from where he was loading the dishwasher and sighed, a deep look of disapproval on his face. "Anakin…"

"Do you have any fucking idea - any damn clue - what it's like for me right now?! To sit there," he motioned with his warm toward the dining room, "with my mother in the room, and have to lie straight to her face like this?!"

Ben sighed and rubbed his beard, peering at Anakin with sad eyes. "I'm truly sorry that you are in this position, Anakin…"

"You put me in this position!" Anakin snarled, throwing his arms wide in utter frustration. "What was the point of all this anyway? To test how well I can hold my fucking tongue?!"

"No. Satine wanted…she wanted to announce the pregnancy. I couldn't say no to her about that. Besides, I thought...hoped, really...that maybe this would be good for us. That it might help us - you and me - to get back to normal."

Anakin snorted rudely and rolled his eyes. "Back to normal?! No fancy dinners or fake happy gatherings are going to make things like they were before. Nothing changes the fact that you lied to me for ten years! I can't just let that go, Ben!"

Perhaps it was the finality of his tone that made Ben stop suddenly, his entire face dropping. "Maybe not now, Anakin. But in time, I believe you'll forgive me, and that you'll understand that I did what I had to do."

Shaking his head, Anakin just sighed. "No. I don't know if I will… if I can. How do you expect me to keep this a secret - from all my loved ones - for the rest of my life? Answer me that, Ben. How?!"

"Look, I know it's hard, Anakin. Trust me, I do know," Ben's voice was pained, and Anakin felt a small, pang of sympathy for him. "I've wanted to tell you everything since I was first assigned to your case. But, it was too important. And, if you say anything, it'll put all your loved ones' lives in danger. It's just better for them if they don't know."

"Padme's already suspicious," Anakin grumbled. "She keeps asking me questions." He paused for a minute and then looked seriously at the older man. "Y'know, I do plan to marry Padme one day, Ben. Don't you think my future wife would have a right to know this about me, about my family?" he gritted out through clenched teeth, truly annoyed at the thought of having to live their marriage with this lie hanging over them.

Ben chuckled in sudden amusement before answering seriously. "She's a smart girl, that one. But, you have to be vigilant, Anakin. You can't share this information, not even with Padme. It's classified."

"What about Mom? What about Ahsoka? Have you even told her yet?" Anakin demanded angrily.

"Told me what?"

Both Anakin and Ben froze at the sound of Ahsoka's voice. Whipping around quickly, Anakin saw her standing in the doorway to the kitchen, holding the remaining dessert plates and silverware from the dining room table, a curious expression on her face. He glanced over at Ben, whose face had turned almost white and began shifting on the spot and stuttering.

"Uh… n-nothing, Sweetheart… it's just – "

Clenching his jaw, Anakin glared at him. "Tell her!"

Ben coughed awkwardly. "Anakin, I…"

"Tell her now, Ben!" Anakin snarled, his voice thick with bubbling anger. He could hardly contain his emotions. Now might not have been the best time to do this, but the opportunity was there, and he wasn't going to let it slip past him. Ahsoka deserved to know the truth. And, she needed to hear it from Ben.

"She's not old enough," Ben argued, but his protest fell on deaf ears.

"She's more mature than you give her credit for. She needs to know."

Ahsoka coughed loudly, flicking her blue eyes between her guardian and her older brother in complete bewilderment. "I'm right here, y'know. I can hear you talking about me."

Once again, Anakin turned on Ben, his expression unrelenting. "Either you tell her, or I do." The look he shot Ben was pointed. He meant business...and Ben knew it.

"Tell me what?!" the young girl cried out, placing the stack of plates and silverware on the countertop and crossing her arms with a determined pout, her expression, her stance so much like Anakin's it was almost scary.

Sighing deeply in resignation, Ben rubbed the back of his neck and stepped closer to Ahsoka, peering down at her with sadness swimming in his sea-green eyes. "Ahsoka," he muttered softly, full of affection and gentleness, as though that would ease the burden of what he was about to reveal. "Please just know that everything Satine and I have ever done was to protect you. We love you, Sweetheart, as if you were our own flesh and blood. Ok?"

Ahsoka tipped her head to the side. "Obi-wan…what's going on? You're acting really…strange."

He gave her a weak smile. "Remember when you were younger, and you'd ask me about your parents?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember what I told you about your father?"

Sucking her bottom lip between her teeth, Ahsoka lifted her eyes to the ceiling as she concentrated. "Yeah. You told me that my dad was a brave marine, and died abroad before I was born."

"Well…" Ben hesitated briefly, lightly clearing his throat, before continuing. "That's…that's not exactly true."

Her eyes lit up immediately, full of hope, and a broad smile broke out on her young face. "You mean he's alive?! They found him?!"

The sight of her so alive with optimism caused a pang of heartfelt regret deep in Anakin's chest. The poor girl. All this time she'd thought her father was some brave war hero, who'd died heroically in service to his country. He almost didn't want her to know who her father really was, to crush her dreams and hopes so quickly. But, she needed to know. Ultimately, it was for her own good, no matter how painful it would be for her to hear it in this moment. There was no time to back down from the truth now.

On observation, Ben was clearly just as stricken as Anakin felt, for it was etched all over his face, in the lines on his forehead and the frown on his lips. He flicked his tormented eyes over to Anakin's own grim gaze quickly, silently accusing him of ruining the perfect image of her father the young teenager before him had built up in her head. Anakin swallowed his guilt and just inclined his head in encouragement.

"Well, yes, he's alive. But, he's not…he's not who you think he is."

"What do you mean?" Ahsoka asked quietly, her brows furrowed, confusion clearly etched on her face.

"Your father is not a good man, Ahsoka. Not at all. He's a violent criminal, and he's connected to several drug crime rings in Arizona and is currently being held on a life sentence in a high security federal prison."

A deep frown pulled at her face, shock widening her eyes as she processed this information. "Wait…what?! NO! That can't be true! You're lying! He's…he's a marine!" she implored desperately, tears welling in her eyes as she shook her head furiously, her small hands balling into fists at her side. "He died fighting for our country! He's… he's a hero!"

"No, he's not! He's a monster!" Anakin suddenly blurted out. All eyes turned to fix on him in surprise. He clenched his own fists and closed his eyes, trying to contain the rage and hatred he felt for his father that boiled deep within his soul. "He's a very dangerous man, Ahsoka."

"How do you know?!" she whirled, screaming at him, flailing her arms about helplessly, as tears streamed down her face, dripping on her shirt.

Inhaling deeply, saddened to his very core that he had to break her heart this way, Anakin opened his eyes once more and fixed them straight on her, determined and unwavering.

"Because, he's my father, too, Snips. You're my half-sister."