Thank doctor anthony for this song; thank you doctor anthony!
Song: Wherever You Are by O-Zone
This is not a continuation of the story I wrote last chapter, each chapter will be its own oneshot.
Enjoy~
~Arctic
I've looked her in the eyes for the last time
Tears fell down, they were so bitter
She asked me not to forget, it felt like the last Summer
While I said something like: "Love never dies".
Didn't know that it was the last night
When it was so, so near
I remember only this
When I saw her the last night
Last sight kept me remembering
Last disappointment that I won't forget.
They stood, looking at each other for what was most likely going to be the last time ever. It was time for Ahsoka to go on her own, she had passed the trials. It was time to get her own unit to command, maybe even her own padawan if she felt like it.
She had come to say her last goodbyes to her Captain, he took her hand, and they looked at each other, he wanted to hug her tightly and never let go, to freeze time for everyone but them, but he couldn't, he was only a clone.
Ahsoka had begged Anakin to switch Rex to her unit, but he refused, saying that he needed his Captain.
The world was seemingly against them, and the love they shared.
Ahsoka had been torn between doing her best in the trials, and throwing it off for Rex. She had thrown it off, but the Jedi were so desperate that they turned her into a knight.
She had never told Rex of that.
"Don't forget me okay?" She asked, as they shared an embrace. Rex almost laughed at the thought, It would be more likely for her to forget him, him just being another clone.
"I won't." Rex replied, there was an aura of extreme despair surrounding the couple, and no one dared approach them.
Ahsoka's comm link beeped, signifying that she had to meet up with Anakin and met her unit, they looked at each other, and shared one last kiss.
With that, she turned and walked right out of his life.
Wherever you are I will find you
Wherever you are I will love you
Whenever, night or day I will find you
When will I love you to myself
My Sweet one, my bitter one… I will find you
Rex searched the archives, desperately trying to find out if she was alive, if she was okay. He heard the 715th, Ahsoka's unit, got ambushed by separatists. He searched, to no avail, he almost slammed his fist on the dashboard of the computer, but Anakin walked in before he could.
"Rex, we are needed on the bridge." Anakin told him, though Rex wanted nothing more than to punch someone in the face for his pain and frustration, he had to play the good soldier.
"Yes, General." He followed Anakin to the bridge, and they stood, to see the hologram of Obi-Wan.
"The attack on Ahsoka's unit came to a shock to us and to her, she was in a small unmarked cruiser travelling off of the planet, not many people knew about it, it shows that we must have spies amongst us." Obi-Wan was saying.
"Speaking of Ahsoka, how is she?"
"She's in critical condition they say. They also say that she is still her sarcastic self even in pain." Anakin gave a small smile.
"Of course, she was my padawan after all, I had to teach her a few things..."
Rex had stopped paying attention after that, thankful she was safe, annoyed that he hadn't been there to help her, and angry because it was Anakins' fault for even bringing attention to her in the council. If he hadn't said anything they would have overlooked her and she never would have taken the trials. Ahsoka, we will meet again one day, I promise, even if it is the last thing I do... He thought to himself.
Every evening when she tries to go to sleep
Cry and listen a piece of her preference
Because I make and I sense her so much closer
She tossed and turned in her sleep, she couldn't sleep, again. Her thoughts were racing, about everything since her trials, her life had become a nightmare. Her heart hurt, her mind was confused, and she was ready to break down and cry. She didn't hate her unit, but she was afraid to connect with her unit like she had with the 501st. There was no one to assure her that she had made the right decision, she was always second guessing herself. Rex had always told her what he thought, whether it be good or bad. These men said nothing, and she felt like she was going to lose it. So many lives were hers to take or keep, her decisions could get many men killed, and it made her scared. She hated being a knight, she scoffed at herself as she remembered when she had first become Anakins padawan, how she had dreamed of becoming one, how she had wanted to be the youngest knight ever. As she got older, and became a lover with Rex, she didn't really want that day to come, when it had her heart had dropped into her stomach. She had been afraid to tell Rex, but she had finally done so, she had done the most painful thing she had ever done, leave him.
She reminds me of us and of our last night
The last kiss on cold lips
I sense her trembling with bitter mouth
Rex lay on the ground bleeding, shrapnel had hit him in the leg, he couldn't stand, and he was losing blood, he didn't know this though. He was stuck in the land between consciousness and unconsciousness. His mind bringing forth only what was important and dear to him.
He remembered the last kiss they had shared almost 6 months ago.
He remembered her heart broken look.
He remembered watching her leave, he could tell she was on the verge of tears, her full lips trembling as she held back the sobs. She had waved goodbye to everyone, but her eyes had locked with his, even through his helmet she had managed to stare right at him.
The tears had leaked out of his helmet for hours after that. His silent cries felt like they would rip him apart.
He remembered the promise he made on the day she had gotten ambushed, he still hadn't seen her, he couldn't die now. His eyes opened, and he was in the med center.
"What happened?" He whispered weakly.
"You were in a coma for three days because of the blood loss from your leg." A clone medic replied.
"It didn't feel like three days..."
"Time flows differently in your mind."
"Oh..."
I kiss you all night in a dream
That's the real ghost of the last Summer
Last sight kept me remembering
Like a dream, like a tale lost in clouds
He was dreaming again, he was dreaming of Ahsoka and their yearlong romance. Their yearlong secret romance. All the good times they had before that fateful night.
He remembered how they had talked about when they had first met when she had first become Anakins' padawan, how they laughed at the memory of her trying to pull rank against him and how he had quickly told her her place.
'In my book, experience outranks everything.'
How that seemed just like yesterday, yet the last time they had kissed felt like decades. He turned over, remembering how many times they had found a moment or two alone before or after a battle. How they acted like they were fighting, and the other one would follow under the disguise of making sure the other didn't do something stupid. How they would kiss between floors on the turbolift, and how they would pull apart a split-second before the doors opened. They had gained lots of experience on how to hide their secret love. They found areas barely used by other clones, and would meet there; usually they talked, and made out, then left with the promise of meeting the other tomorrow.
He remembered how Ahsoka said she would leave the order for him if he so wished, if he would leave the 501st in return. His dreams turned into a fantasy about that, but when he was awake he knew that option was impossible.
He heaved a sad sigh in his sleep.
Wherever you are I will find you
Wherever you are I will love you
Whenever, night or day I will find you
When will I love you to myself
My Sweet one, my bitter one… I will find you
Over the series of months there had been many times when they had almost met. Times when Rex and the 501st would travel to a planet just after Ahsoka had left it and vice versa. He was able to see her through hologram, but it wasn't enough, she couldn't see him, seeing only Anakin on her end. She was still growing her lekku were growing longer, and her body was leaving adolescence and entering adulthood. Her outfit changed, she began to wear less revealing clothing than she had in her youth.
"How's Rex and the others?" He heard her ask.
"They're doing fine, they miss you Snips, along with your old master." They had laughed and smiled, exchanging gossip and news of the war. Right now they were on opposite sides of the galaxy, and Ahsoka was going to be stationed there for a while.
Anakin asked her if she liked being a knight, "It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me." She replied seriously.
"I thought you wanted to become a knight, Snips." Anakin reminded her.
"I used to...but now that I've seen how much pressure you have, it's wearing me down slowly, Master. I don't know how much more of this I can take before I finally break." Her voice had lowered, like she was ashamed of admitting the truth.
"You've grown wiser, and I hear good reports from the council on you, you're doing fine, stop second-guessing yourself."
"Yes, Master." Rex could tell she was just placating him, seeing as Anakin was not who she wanted to be reassured by, "Master, may I ask a favor?"
"Shoot."
"Have Rex switched over to my unit, the men here are a bit...unruly. The current captain will not take orders from me." Anakin sighed.
"I'll think about it, Snips, Rex is needed over here, but if your captain is that bad...we'll see. I'll have my answer by the end of this week." He was signifying that he was done talking to her for today.
"Yes master. It was nice talking to you again." She waved, "May the force be with you."
"Same, Snips."
Rex's heart ached and he looked at Anakin, who looked at him, "Sir?" He asked.
"My old padawan seems to need some assistance in straightening up her soldiers, would you mind helping her?"
"No sir, I would actually love to teach them a lesson or two." Though Rex wanted to say Please put me on her unit, I would be forever grateful.
"I'll take your reply into consideration."
"Yes, sir."
At night or at day I will find you
I will love you my bitter one…I will find you
Rex watched as Ahsoka's hologram once again was speaking to Anakin, this time asking for a place to put her wounded. She and most of her unit had been injured. They had been in space when they had been surrounded; they had to flee the system to survive.
"We can't make it to Kamino, this ship has taken too much damage. There are too many wounded to try and make it to that planet." You could scratch marks down her arms and legs.
"Snips, get your men onto my ship, we'll take them until they heal, be careful. With your men as injured as they are, you will be an easy target."
"Yes, master." Her hologram disappeared.
"Get the medical stations ready, anyone who isn't on deaths door is to be moved."
"Yes sir."
Wherever you are I will find you
Wherever you are I will love you
Whenever, night or day I will find you
When will I love you to myself
My Sweet one, my bitter one… I will find you
Ahsoka's men boarded Anakins, her medical station too full for everyone. Rex wanted to look for her, but he had been ordered to direct the sick to the medical bay, and make sure that anyone who had at least basic medical knowledge to be in the medical bay and helping out. Everyone else was to be on guard, this many clones, and two jedi together would draw separatist attention.
Rex sighed to himself, wondering how she was doing; her injuries had been obvious even on the hologram. She'll be fine, she's my Ahsoka after all, the only thing that has seemed to change is her appearance, and she hasn't changed too much. Rex thought to himself.
He directed everyone, and barked orders to his own men, he had his men check her ship and make sure that they had done all they could for their brothers. He stopped Fives, the man gave him a confused look, "Sir?" He asked.
"Make sure...will you make sure that Ahsoka is all right?" He asked.
"Of course sir." He replied. Rex stepped back and Fives continued on his way. He hated not being able to see her, but Anakin was keeping him busy. So many things to do, so little time. He trusted Fives enough to check on her, and he was thankful that he would even get that much knowledge about her condition.
As the hours passed and Fives didn't come by and tell him if she was alright, he began to worry more and more, he became meaner and his temper was shorter as the clock continued to tick.
Finally, Fives contacted him.
"Sir?"
"Yes, Fives?"
"You might want to come down here, and see her yourself." The tone had him worried and he forgot all about his other responsibilities and ran all the way to where she was stationed.
I will love you at night under the starry sky
Like in a nice dream of mine I will find you
I will hug you tightly like the last night
I will always be near you
The door opened with a 'whoosh' and there she lay, on a white bed, tubes sticking out her arms, and assorted monitors on each side, making beeping noises. Her normally orange skin had a gray pallor to it, and her eyes were closed.
"...is she...dead?" He asked, he couldn't seem to make himself move, his heart was in his stomach, full of dread.
"No, just unconscious. The cuts were more serious than they had first thought." Fives replied. Rex let out a breath he had been holding. He went to the side of her bed, and noticed the signs of life in her, her eyes darted around under closed lids, her chest rose and fell in slow, small breaths, and her hands would twitch as if using the force on someone or something.
"The doctor said she should wake in a couple of hours, but I called you in here, just in case she didn't..." Fives told him.
"I need to be working..." He said sadly.
"I'll take over for you, I'll tell them that you're with Anakin."
"And if Anakin asks?"
"I'll tell him you're over here, making sure the medics do their job." With that, Fives left Rex and Ahsoka alone. He sat down in the chair beside her bed, and held her small hand in his large one. She looked younger in her sleep then she did in the hologram, almost like she had when they had been forced apart.
He fell asleep, head on the side of her bed, hands still together.
When I find… you.
Rex woke to something stroking his head.
He blinked and looked up, Ahsoka had woken, her skin less gray then it had been, but still not her original hue.
"Rexter..." She smiled at him, and he leaned over and kissed her.
3 years of waiting and they had finally met again.
3 years of longing, passion, angst, worry, depression, and love filled that one kiss.
They pulled back to look at each other.
"I love you." They ended up saying at the same time, they laughed.
"It's been three years too long, Rex ol' boy."
"Yes, it has, kid." They smiled at each other again, they leaned forward to where their foreheads touched, eyes locked, looking into each other's souls. Finding that they still had the same love that they had 3 years ago, and maybe even a bit more...