Ok next chapter is up! Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing and sending me messages! It means a lot. Ok enjoy!

Chapter 11: Always Have Hope

Anakin's POV:

I couldn't believe my eyes as the factory began to crumble. Rex tugged on my arm as all the troops retreated back across the bridge.

"Sir we need to move!" He yelled as he pulled me away. I almost didn't move, but I snapped out of my trance and turned to run. Once we were a good distance away I stopped to think about what had just happened. Ahsoka had sacrificed her life to save others. I understood that it was probably the right thing to do at the time, but I didn't it want it to be that way. I can't believe I would never see her again. I would never get to see her smile, hear her laugh, kiss her lips… I immediately went to the other Masters to request a search party. They might still be alive down there, and I wasn't going to give up on them any time soon.

"Master," I called to Luminara, "Ahsoka and Barriss are still under there. We must search for them in case they are still alive." I tried to say it casually but in reality I was panicking." I said.

"Skywalker, ease your mind. You must accept that they have passed on to become one with the force and be happy for them. They have served the republic and their duties well." She said as she knelt down and closed her eyes. I couldn't believe she was giving up on them this easily. I gaped at her before I walked away.

"Rex! Assemble the first squadron immediately. Ahsoka and Barriss haven't returned and we need to see if they're still alive under there.

"Yes Sir!" He said, and he quickly began rounding up troops. If Luminara wasn't going to help me, fine. I would look by myself. Ahsoka can't be dead. She's strong. She will find a way out…I know it.

Ahsoka's POV:

I coughed as I woke up. I couldn't remember anything. It was dark. I couldn't see anything. I was squashed inside some sort of box. Then, it slowly came back to me. The factory, the tank, the explosion…Visions of the factory exploding in red and orange flashed in my mind. I saw myself, and…Barriss! Was she still alive?!

"Barriss! Barriss, wake up! Are you still with me?!" I whispered frantically. She stired and I sighed in relief. We were both okay…for now.

"Ahsoka, are you alright?" She asked quietly.

"Well, besides that we're buried who knows how deep, under tons of rubble in pitch black darkness and running out of air, fine. You?" She laughed a little.

"Yeah, I'm ok too. Don't know how long for though." She said sadly.

"How are we ever going to get out of here?!" I said.

"I don't know," She coughed. "But we are going to have to think of something soon, we're running out of air." She coughed again. I reached down for my leg to grab my lightsaber. I brought it back up and activated it away from me and the area Barriss' voice was coming from. She did the same. I know we said we had to figure out a way to escape, but I was seriously doubting we would ever make it out of here alive. We must have been buried really deep down…

"Barriss," I started quietly. "I don't think we are ever going to get out of here. We will never be able to dig out." I said sadly.

"I think your right," She coughed. "Well, by destroying the factory we've saved countless lives elsewhere, so what happens to us doesn't matter now." She said. I nodded. It was silent for a few seconds. Tears began to well up in my eyes.

"So…you love him." She nudged me, smiling. I looked to her and nodded.

"Yeah. A lot. I feel really lucky to be with him." I smiled, looking down. "Well….felt really lucky. Not going to be around for much longer." My smile faded.

"Don't worry; I'm sure they're looking for us. I'm happy for you, he deserves you." We held hands. The air was running really low now and we felt ourselves growing weaker.

"Thanks Barriss. Well…this is the end." Tears welled up in my eyes. We held onto each other and leaned against the back of the tank, de-activating out lightsabers. Before I closed my eyes, I attempted to send a wave transmission through my communicator with little hope it would ever reach him.

Anakin…if you can…hear me, I…love you… I dropped the communicator as I felt myself drift into unconsciousness.

Anakin's POV:

I swear I just heard Ahsoka's voice in my head.

Snips! Ahsoka! I called back, but no reply. We had been searching for ten minutes and I was beginning to lose hope. We still hadn't found them.

"Sir, we have searched most of the rubble with no luck. Shall we abort the search?" A clone asked.

"No, keep going. Don't stop until I say so." I ordered.

"Yes Sir." And he went back to keep looking.

"Ahsoka, where are you…" I whispered to myself. I sat down on a nearby rock and held my head in my hands. How could I have let this happen? I was supposed to protect her. I promised myself, I promised Ahsoka, and I promised Norall. Then something clicked. Norall!

"And remember, if you ever need help with anything, I'm never far away…"

Suddenly my eyes shut to a close and when I opened them I was in white nothingness. I walked forward curiously. Where am I? Where is Geonosis?

"You mustn't give up hope Skywalker." A voice said from behind me. I spun around to see Norrall standing in front of me.

"How…how are you hear? Where is here?" I asked.

"Here, is your mind. And I am here with you in your mind. Now, what is it you needed my help with?" I had no idea how the force he got into my mind, but I didn't have time for that right now.

"Ahsoka…Ahsoka is buried under the factory. I…I don't know where she is or if she's alive…" I said painfully, looking down.

"Anakin, if there is one thing I have learned while watching Ahsoka all these years, it's that she can handle herself. If she needs your help, she would have given you some sort of message or sign. Do not give up. Go now, and find her." He said. Then the image before me started to fade.

"No wait! I still don't know how to-"

My eyes snapped open an I was back on Geonosis, panting a little. After all that, I still didn't know how to get Ahsoka back. She could be anywhere! He didn't even give me a clue as to how-

*Beep…beep...beep….beep…..beep…beep…* my comlink was receiving a transmission wave. It could be Ahsoka! I quickly traced where it was coming from, which was from under a huge slab of metal and rock.

"Rex!" I called him over. A few seconds later he was standing in front of me. "I think Ahsoka and Barriss are under there." I pointed.

"Would you like me to get the heavy movers out here Sir?" I thought for a moment.

"No, there isn't time. I'll do it." He nodded and moved away. I closed my eyes and focused on Ahsoka's smiling face that I hoped I would soon see again. And slowly, using the force, I lifted the slab. It was difficult work, it wasn't light. But I finally managed to move it. I dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. I looked through the dust to see a tank.

AHSOKA!

I ran down there as fast as my legs could take me, and sliced open the tank easily. Ahsoka and Barriss were inside, holding each other closely.

"Master Luminara! I've found them!" I called up to where she was. She ran down beside me and looked at her Padawan. Luminara pulled her out and they began walking back up the hill.

"Thank you, Skywalker." She said gratefully, I nodded. They continued walking and I turned back to my Padawan. I smiled as I leaned in and pulled her into my arms. Her closed eyes look tired and bruises were scattered randomly over her beautiful body.

"Ahsoka…" I whispered to her. I got no response and I started to become worried. I checked for a pulse on her arm and I felt nothing. Nothing. I panicked. Had I just saved her to find out she was dead?! I tried to see if she would respond through our bond.

Ahsoka…if you can hear me….please….come back to me….I need you…I love you….Please….come back…

When I got no response again, I lost all hope. I held her limp body tight against me as I cradled her. My Snips. My beautiful Snips…I couldn't believe I let this happen. It's all my fault, and now I've lost her… Just then I felt a pressure on her arm. I checked it again. It was a pulse. I held my breath for a moment as a spark of hope returned. Then slowly, her eyes fluttered opened again. A massive wave of relief and happiness rolled off me.

"Anakin…" She whispered.

"Ahsoka, you're alive. Thank the force…I love you. I'm so sorry I let this happen. I shouldn't have let you go," I said sadly.

"It wasn't your fault, its ok. I'm sorry I-"

Her voice was silenced due to having my lips on hers. At that moment, I didn't care who saw us or what was going on around me, I only cared about her. Her arms moved to my neck and I held her against me tightly. We kissed for a few seconds, and then I broke it. When I pulled away, she gave me a worried look. I turned around to see all the Masters looking at us. I turned back to Ahsoka.

"Don't worry about them." I whispered to her. She nodded and I picked her up and carried her back up the hill. I held her close to me until I rested her on the gunship. I made sure she was okay before walking back out to the Masters.

"Masters, I will be returning with Ahsoka back to Coruscant. She needs medical attention." I didn't even wait for a reply as I turned around and went back to my Soka.

"Captain get us out of here." I commanded.

"Yes Sir." He ordered the other clones to pilot us away. I went into the back of the ship with Ahsoka. It was just the two of us. I lay down on one of the beds, holding her on top of me. She enlaced her fingers with mine and I squeezed lightly before kissing her hand. She stared into my eyes for a few seconds before resting her head on my chest for the rest of the trip.

I love you. I'm never going to let you away from me again. I said through our bond. I felt her happiness and security and I was satisfied.

I love you too Anakin. I kissed her Lekku. I closed my eyes and relaxed the rest of the trip, just happy to have Ahsoka back in my arms.

OK I hope you liked it! Review please!

Just-Dream-18