Wow, chapter 18 already! Thanks for all the great reviews guys! You're awesome!
However, before we begin, I had said previously that there would be an Anakin/Dooku fight in this chapter, but, unfortunately, that will be happening in on one of the next chapters. Sorry to disappoint you guys! I know...I'm a rotten person, but there are some things that need to happen first.
Also, it won't be in this chapter, but I'm thinking of making the V.A.D.E.R. compound a little stronger so Anakin can choke people with his mind...but it seems a little too "Star-Warsy" for my taste...Any input on that would be fantastic, guys!
On with the show!
Anakin stumbled back into the hospital, limping visibly. His face was pale and covered with a sheen of sweat, but he was clearly furious; the Vader hadn't quite worn off yet.
He dragged himself Padmé's to room.
Obi-Wan stopped him from entering. "Where the kriff were you?" He demanded. "Ahsoka's been worried sick. And frankly, Mace and I were starting to get a little concerned too...What exactly were you doing out th-"
Anakin's voice was low and dangerous. "I thought you were going to tell her that I went for a walk." He interrupted angrily.
"Whoa, chill out dude. She's just a kid; she's scared. You can't just magic away her feelings, man." Obi-Wan paused to peer at Anakin's face. "Are you alright? You look awful."
"I'm fine." Anakin snapped. "Let me in; I need to talk to her." He said, taking a step forward.
Obi-Wan shifted to block him again. "Actually, I don't think that's a good idea at the moment." He said carefully. "You might want to take a few minutes to calm down first."
Before Obi-Wan could blink, Anakin's right hand shot out and wrapped around his throat.
"Let. Me. In." He growled, tightening his grip.
Obi-Wan's vision swam, black spots fading in and out as he attempted to pry Anakin's fingers loose. But he couldn't.
Anakin's grip was too strong.
Obi-Wan's salvation came in the form of a hospital orderly.
"Is there a problem here, gentlemen." The burly man asked.
Anakin reluctantly released Obi-Wan's throat. "No, we're just messing around. Sorry to have disturbed you." Anakin replied jovially.
"Alright," The orderly replied hesitantly. "Just keep it down, this is a hospital. Sick people are trying to rest so they can go home." He explained. Rolling his eyes, he walked away.
"What the kriffing kriff, Skywalker!" Obi-Wan replied in a harsh whispered. "What is your problem?" He demanded.
Anakin pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head to clear it. "Nothing. I'm just worried about Padmé. Can I see her now?" Anakin's voice still had an edge to it, but Obi-Wan believed his friend.
After all, they were all under a lot of stress; it was expected for some frustration to boil over.
"Yeah. She's resting now, but she'll be happy to see you when she wakes up."
"Thanks. I'm sorry about before; I don't know what came over me...That was kriffing weird."
"We're cool, man. Now get in there, I think you owe Ahsoka an explanation."
Obi-Wan assured him.
Anakin nodded, and he stepped inside the small room.
Mace had dozed off beside Ahsoka, who was sitting in her chair, biting her lip, eyes flitting between Padmé's motionless form and the door.
Ahsoka's tiny form blurred and suddenly something smacked into Anakin's chest, hard enough to force the breath out of him in a wheeze.
"You're back!" Ahsoka exclaimed in a shaky voice.
Anakin chuckled. "I missed you too, Snips." He said.
It was only when his shirt dampened that he realized she was crying.
"Hey," He said gently, sitting down in the chair so he could look her in the eyes. He placed his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. "Are you okay?" He asked
Ahsoka's blue eyes clouded, and her face crumpled, and her brown hair fell into her face. "You scared me." She said in a small voice. "I didn't know if you were gonna come back...I thought something happened to you too." She explained.
Unsure as to whether he was doing the right thing, Anakin pulled her into a tentative hug. "Nothing's going to happen to me, alright." He tenderly brushed a strand of hair out of Ahsoka's face. "Did what happened to Padmé scare you too?" Anakin questioned gently.
Ahsoka nodded slowly, embarrassed at what she presumed was childishness-though Padmé's inert form would have scared anyone who wasn't paying enough attention to hear the beeping of the monitoring equipment. Even after her session in the bacta tank, the tones were still too far apart for Anakin's liking.
"Will she be okay?" Ahsoka wondered.
Anakin nodded, not sure whether he was telling the truth. "Yes. She'll be fine...Padmé won't be hurt like this, ever again." Anakin said.
Ahsoka smiled a tiny smile, appeased for the moment. "Good."
Obi-Wan, however, was less convinced. "How can you be so sure. Ruwee's not exactly a stable person."
"No, he wasn't. But that won't be an issue." Anakin held his breath, hoping that Ahsoka didn't notice his correction.
When she didn't say anything, Anakin breathed a little easier.
Obi-Wan had the good sense not to say anything verbally, choosing instead to shoot Anakin a probing glance.
What was that all about?
Anakin met his gaze.
I'll explain later.
Obi-Wan nodded, and then moved over to Mace's side. "Wake up, ya kark!"
Mace jerked upright, almost falling out of his chair. As it was, the seat tipped forward on two legs, balanced precariously for a moment, before slamming back to the floor as Mace relaxed.
"'The kriff, Kenobi!" He exclaimed. "Don't do that!" Mace clutched his chest, clearly startled.
"Don't fall asleep when you're on watch duty." Obi-Wan retorted.
In her bed, Padmé cracked a smile.
What do you think? Review and let me know!
Until next time,
~Ink