A/N: Seee? I told you I was back (sorta). It's not as quick as I usually update, but I'm doing my very best! :)

I must admit, I was a little upset with some of the responses I've recieved about my slower updating rate :( Writing is one of my favourite things to do, but I do not have the luxury of time anymore, like I did when I was studying. I'm working full time in a new environment, and my job comes first. Plus, I have moved out of home and am living with my boyfriend, so not only do I have to work, but I have to cook, clean, get the washing done, go food shopping and all that other lovely fun stuff that being an adult entails, plus all my after-school coaching commitments. Therefore, my time to write has dwindled down to maybe half an hour a week. Which makes me pretty sad :( If you are unable to sympathise with this, then you are either much better at adulting then me (please give me so tips!) , or you don't understand what it's like.

I'm so grateful to all my faithful readers who wait so patiently for my updates! Thank you so much. Your unwavering support is what keeps me going!

I hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to wait patiently for the next one (which, fingers crossed, shouldn't be too hard).

xx shelivesfree xx

"Ahsoka!" Anakin called out into the darkness of the night, his voice echoing clearly through the crisp evening air, hinting at the slight panic he was feeling. Damn it, Snips, he thought bitterly to himself, as he kicked aimlessly at several loose pebbles along the sidewalk. They scattered away with a dull patter against the concrete, and the noise was somehow calming for him.

"Snips!" He called out again, scanning the surrounding area for any sight of her, but there was none. Sighing, he zipped the front closure of his jacket partway up his chest as protection from the invading chill before shoving his hands in his pockets to warm them up. Then, he continued trudging through the peacefully slumbering neighbourhood. He couldn't quite believe it somehow. All this chaos that had suddenly come crashing into his life in the last couple of days was enough to give him a headache. No, a migraine. A very painful, exhausting migraine. Part of him wanted to curl up in bed and sleep for a week to forget that any of this had ever happened. Another part of him wanted to scream at the top of his lungs at the unfairness of it all.

He opted for aggressively kicking at a nearby lightpost. Fuck! The searing pain in his foot made him regret that decision instantly, as he swore roughly under his breath and limped a few steps forward, slumping his shoulders as he continued to search for Ashoka.

Anakin really shouldn't have been surprised that she'd run away. What other natural response was there for a teenaged girl who's entire world had just been turned upside down by the people she loved and trusted the most? Still, he wanted to wring her neck for putting Ben and Satine through this kind of panic – particularly Satine, as this level of stress couldn't be good for the baby.

And, then there was Padme… the thought of her made him sigh helplessly. He could only imagine how confused she must be feeling right now. The sad look in her beautiful eyes before he'd left had almost broken him. Anakin hated seeing her look like that - especially when he was the cause of it- and he wanted nothing more than to tell her everything, to just clear the air between them and lift this weight off his shoulders. But, he knew he couldn't. At least, not right now.

One day, he vowed to himself, I'll tell her everything. Sometime after we're married and settled. The thought buoyed his downcast spirits just a bit.

It was then, while he was lost in his own thoughts, that he heard the faint, yet distinct sound, of a person sobbing. Tilting his head to the side, he sharpened his focus and followed the noise towards the empty skate park. There, perched on top of one of the ramps, was a shadowy figure, hunched over in a crouch, one leg idly swinging slowly back and forth.

"Snips?" Anakin headed up the ramp cautiously and approached her warily. Oh, yeah. He could tell it was her, he'd know her silhouette anywhere.

She sniffled, but didn't say anything, ignoring him. Deciding it would be better to let her open up to him when she was ready, Anakin merely took his place beside her. Neither of them said a word for what felt like an eternity. Anakin stared out across the empty skate park. Memories of his teenaged years spent hanging out here late at night came flooding back to him, and he scowled. Those weren't fond memories. Not at all. Actually, he tried to forget them. This wasn't a sanctuary for him; it never had been. It had been a place of hate, of rage, of regret, and it worried him that Ahsoka had chosen here of all places to escape to. He let out a shuddered breath.

She was more like him than she knew...than they knew. Two peas in a pod.

Eventually, the silence grew to be too much for him to bear, and Anakin broke it, twisting his head to look at her silhouetted profile. "I'm sorry."

She glanced over at him, the dim light of the streetlight down the road illuminating her large, turquoise eyes so they shone eerily in the darkness. "That's all I get?" she barked back, deep scowl lines etched across her face.

"I don't know what else I can say," Anakin replied honestly with a half shrug.

Rolling her eyes, Ahsoka brought both of her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them, gazing forlornly ahead. "Why did you even come after me?" she asked bitterly.

Anakin frowned. "Because I fucking care about you, Ahsoka!" he growled back, throwing his hands up in the air aggressively. "I'm so fed up with your attitude. I understand you're hurt and upset, but that's no reason to hurt the people who love you!"

"What about me, huh?" she fired back venomously. "They've hurt me! You've hurt me!" She jabbed the air with her index finger pointed at him.

Sighing, Anakin raked a hand through his hair and shook his head slowly. "Maybe they did, Snips. But, did you ever stop to think that they kept the truth from you to protect you?... Because, I don't know, maybe they fucking love you?!"

Hot tears pooled in her eyes again, spilling over the edge and sliding down her cheeks silently. "They don't love me," she whispered hoarsely. "They love how loving me makes them feel."

Her words made him scoff. "Are you listening to yourself right now, Snips?! Do you hear the crap that's coming out of your mouth?! That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard."

"Is not! Love doesn't exist!" she argued back fiercely, as more tears streamed down her face. "All people do is lie to your face and stab you in the back!" Her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and she abruptly turned away from him so that all he could see was her thick, dark hair spooling down her back.

Her sudden outburst had Anakin confounded. Something - or someone - had hurt her...badly, and it was something way more than just the realisation of her true parentage. Whatever it was, tonight's revelation had merely been the final straw for her. Anakin could practically sense the deep despair that surged within her, could see it in the way her body shook with each ragged, sobbing breath. At that moment, he just wanted to pull the girl into his arms and hug her so tightly, to protect her from whatever demons haunted her mind…

Instead, he reached forward and lightly touched her shoulder. "Ahsoka…" he muttered softly, gently, trying to coax her out from behind her stiff walls and open up to him. "What happened. Tell me."

She snorted insolently. "I don't need to tell you. You heard. You were there," she bit back sharply, but he just shook his head.

"No, not that," he probed. "Something else has happened. Someone hurt you. I can tell."

She didn't respond, nor did she turn around. But, Anakin decided to be patient and continued to persist.

"Come on. Talk to me, Snips. I can help you, y'know."

"No, you can't," she said in a meek, deadly soft voice, a voice he hadn't heard from her in years. It sounded so young and innocent and vulnerable that he was instantly reminded of who she used to be – that smartassed little girl who'd follow him around and annoy him and pester him constantly to play with her. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips at the memory, before he was brought back to the situation in front of him when she added, "No one can help me."

For a moment, Anakin frowned, but that was quickly replaced by a look of fierce determination. "I can," he insisted firmly. "But, I can't if you don't talk to me."

Ahsoka just shook her head and twisted back around so that she was facing him. Her large, turquoise eyes were wide with sadness and regret. "You can't, Skyguy. Trust me. It's…it's my own fault, really. I trusted the wrong people, and they – they let me down. Big time."

Anakin grimaced, his lips pursed together with anger, and his brows furrowed. "Who let you down, Snips? Whose ass do I have to go whoop?"

A faint smile quivered Ahsoka's bottom lip, and she let loose a wisp of a laugh, but it was cold and dead. "It's a bit of a long story," she confessed, but Anakin waved his hand flippantly and shrugged.

"I've got all the time in the world, Snips. I'm not going anywhere. It's just you and me here. So, talk. I'm listening," he gestured around at the empty skate park.

Sniffing once more, she nodded her head and once again, drew her legs up towards her chest, wrapping her arms round her knees. "Well, I guess it all started with Lux," she began slowly, a hint of bitterness in her voice, as she stumbled over the name. "He was always so nice to me. He seemed to 'get me,' and I thought – I thought he really l-loved me… y'know? Even though he goes to this fancy private school and everything. I thought he was different." She paused to catch her breath as tears streamed solidly from her eyes, staining her cheeks. The drops shone like tiny crystals in the moonlight.

"But, then suddenly, without any explanation, he stops calling me, texting me, and we stop seeing each other, and then the next thing I know, he's seeing some rich girl that goes to his fancy school. She's blonde and built, and she's really smart and very pretty and funny and well – I can see why he chose her...over someone like me."

Ahsoka wiped her eyes and choked back a sob. "I mean, I'm nothing compared to her."

Anakin's heart broke at hearing her speak so negatively about herself. She was so young, still growing and changing and finding her place in the world. She shouldn't have been comparing herself to some prissy little bitch who lives off daddy's money.

"Snips… don't say that! You are so much more than some rich little bimbo. You're great!"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, even though her smile grew wider. "You're supposed to say that, idiot. You're my big brother. For real now."

Grinning, Anakin shoved her gently in the shoulder. "And, as your big brother, I'm the only one who can be mean to you. That right is reserved for me only!"

Finally, Ahsoka began to laugh, and the sight and sound of it caused Anakin to laugh right along with her, because it sounded so clear and bright and pretty. He hadn't heard Ahsoka laugh all night, and it felt good to see her looking somewhat happier.

"So, I guess I have to go whoop Lux's ass then?" he said with a wink, but she just shook her head.

"No… it's not – I mean, I'm not angry at him. I just wish I hadn't gotten my hopes up, y'know?" she sighed and played with the end of her hair. "I thought he really cared about me, but I guess that was naive of me to think."

"Don't blame yourself, Snips," Anakin countered seriously, his voice turning soft once more. "He betrayed your trust. That's on him, not on you. It's perfectly normal for you to be hurt by that."

"I know," she agreed meekly. "But, I'm still not angry with him. Not really. It was just the kindling on the fire I suppose – the thing that started it all."

"Started what?"

A vicious gleam in her eyes, Ahsoka snarled. "If you wanna whoop anyone's ass, it should be Barriss'."

"Barriss?!" Anakin paused, eyebrows shooting up, shocked for a moment that Barriss could be the cause of Ahsoka's problems. Barriss was a smart, shy, mild-mannered girl who'd been friends with Ahsoka for literally years. They were as thick as thieves, doing almost everything together. It was Barriss who'd called Anakin when Ahsoka had been at that senior party on New Year's Eve - she seemed to really care about Ahsoka. What had happened between them to bring Ahsoka to this?!

"Hold up...I thought you guys were best friends?"

Ahsoka scowled and shook her head furiously. "That's what Ithought, too. But, turns out she's nothing more than a back-stabbing little bitch!"

Startled and confused by Ahsoka's obvious ire and crude language regarding her meek-mannered friend, Anakin frowned. "What happened?!"

With a huff, Ahsoka rolled her eyes and began, "It all started when I got a tutor," she explained. "Obi-Wan and Satine were concerned about my dropping grades, so they organised a tutor for me. I'd see them three times a week after school, and my grades slowly began to improve- to the point where I was getting high A's instead of low C's. Barriss, apparently, didn't like that I was 'threatening' her position as top of the class…" her eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "So, when we had one of our big tests a few weeks ago, she copied off of me and then accused me of cheating! We were bothcalled into the principal's office and, well… guess whose side he took? 'Perfect Barriss' with her 'perfect record'," a look of disdain on her face, she used air quotes for emphasis, "or average smartass Ahsoka with a track record of making trouble…?"

Anakin sighed miserably, his shoulders sagging. "Barriss, right?"

She nodded robotically. "I was almost expelled, SkyGuy! Until Obi-Wan came over to the school, absolutely outraged, and practically pleaded with the principal. Instead, I was just given a whole month's worth of afterschool detentions and a mark against my name...for something I didn't even do, dammit!" Hot, angry tears spilled down her cheeks again, and she shook her head roughly to cast them aside, dashing at her eyes with her fist.

Anakin couldn't believe what he was hearing. Poor Snips. It wasn't fair – none of this was. And, for her to have to suffer alone, betrayed not only by her best and only friend, but betrayed by her boyfriend also…Well, Anakin could certainly understand why she was acting out the way she was. The girl was hurt, lonely, and miserable.

He felt his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. She was his baby sister...and he'd had no idea she had been suffering like this. She'd needed him, andhe suddenly felt swept by a surge of guilt that he hadn't been there for her, to help her through all this. He squared his shoulders, his jaw set. But, he was here now.

He reached out and took her hand, giving it a tight squeeze of reassurance. "I'm so so sorry, Snips. You didn't deserve any of this. Not one damn bit of it."

Sniffling, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gave him a watery smile. "S'not your fault."

"Well, maybe not fully, but I should've been herefor you!" he argued hotly, the regret and guilt eating him up from the inside. "I should've been here for you. Supporting you. I – I let you down, Ahsoka, and I'm so sorry."

Ahsoka simply shook her head. "Don't blame yourself, SkyGuy. I can't expect you to always be here when I need you. You've got your own life to live, too – with Padme, and college and everything. I've got to get used to you not being around to save me all the time…" her voice trailed off, sadly, and Anakin couldn't handle seeing such a strong, vibrant, young girl looking so weak.

He pulled her roughly into his arms and held her tight, his hand stroking her back as the other ran through her hair in a loving, soothing touch. "Just because I'm not around, doesn't mean I'm not here for you. I'm always either a call or text away," he told her firmly. "I'll always be there for you, you know that, right? Always. You're my family. You're my baby sister...literally, and I love you, Snips. I'll always love you."

She nodded her head against his chest and when he looked down, he saw a small smile on her face. This was what she'd needed – for someone to listen to her and let her rant, let her vent.

"I love you, too. Always, SkyGuy," she whispered back, hugging him fiercely.