When her master apparently lost his voice, Ahsoka had enough. Infuriated, she snatched the key from his fingers and stormed off, ignoring how he called hoarsely after her. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she ran through the corridors of the hostel until she reached their room. She jammed the key into the lock, and then rushed inside, slamming the door behind her.

Overwhelmed, she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, but she would not succeed. Sobbing, she sat down on the edge of the bed.

She could not - would not - believe what had happened. Within a few days she had lost everything. Her future, her home, her family.

A soft knock sounded at the door. Ahsoka wanted to ignore it.

"Ahsoka?" Anakin's broken voice sounded from the other side, "Please, let me in."

She remained silent, just staring at the door.

"Please, I know you're in there," he tried again.

Ahsoka knew he was able to simply open the door with the Force, but he did not. "Go away," she forced out, her anger and sadness overwhelming her.

"Let me explain," croaked Anakin, his anxiety radiating off into the Force.

Finally, she had had enough. "No!" she cried, "There's nothing to explain! Whatever has gotten into you... I... I don't know who you are anymore! At least, not my master."

An oppressive silence followed and she knew her words had hit home. But she didn't care if Anakin was still there. She couldn't look at him, not now, maybe never again. It felt like a betrayal.

Numbly, she stared out the window, watching the raindrops leave streaks on the glass. Ahsoka just wanted to go home. Wherever that was. And she needed distance from Anakin. Because of him she wasn't left in some kind of cell. Even though she wasn't sure if that would have been worse than how things were now.

Making a decision, she got up again. She thought about opening the door and making a run for it. But she didn't want to take chances with running into Anakin. Instead, she turned towards the window and pulled it open. Immediately raindrops hit her face as she climbed up onto the windowsill. She turned back one last time, letting her gaze linger on the door. Anakin was there, Ahsoka could feel it. Finally, she pushed herself off and jumped onto the roof ledge below.

The roof tiles were slippery when she landed on them. In the twilight, the red of the sun reflected on their wet surface, providing a stark contrast to the normally dull, dark colors of Coruscant.

Ahsoka shivered as she jumped down to the ground. Her clothes had been completely soaked before, and now the night chill was beginning to set in. Crossing her arms and lowering her head, she moved forward as unobtrusively as possible. She tried to blend in with the shadows, avoided the gazes trespassers shot her. Maybe she should have searched for a cloak before she left. But it didn't matter now. Everything blended into nothingness for her.

Her thoughts drifted to her grandmaster. Ahsoka had only caught a glimpse of him during the trial. There had been so much pain and despair in his signature. Ahsoka could no longer find any of that steadying presence she had valued so much. Her Grandmaster was broken. An empty shell. She had not known the Duchess personally, but she had seen how the two had interacted. Sometimes she had heard Obi-Wan talking to someone over his commlink in the evening. Often after particularly hard missions. He had then sounded happier, as if a certain burden had been lifted from his shoulders. She knew now that he must have been talking to Satine.

She wanted nothing more than to return to the temple. To embrace her grandmaster. Simply that all this had never happened.

But of course, that was wishful thinking. She could not go back, perhaps never again. Who would prove her innocence? She could not do it alone. Especially not since her own master was now also a wanted criminal.

Her feet had carried her forward without her noticing. Nobody had recognized her; she had become too much one with the masses in the underground. When she looked up, she realized where her path had led her. Dex's diner. Ahsoka bit her lips. It was late and she could see that Hermoine, the waitress, had already turned the sign on the door. Closed. The bold letters burned themselves into Ahsoka's head.

But somehow the Force urged her to go inside. The lights were still on. A small cleaning droid made its way over the tiled floor, leaving a wet, shiny trail behind.

Ahsoka knew that Dex was a good friend of Master Kenobi. Maybe, just maybe he could help her. It was risky, but she had to give it a try. Taking a deep breath, she pushed against the door, grateful that it was still open.

The bell above the door rang as she entered and Ahsoka stood awkwardly inside the empty diner, before a feminine voice called from the kitchen.

"Hey! We're…," Hermoine shouted energetically, stomping into the room, "...closed." Her eyes grew wide as she recognized the Padawan. "Dex...!"

A grumpy snort sounded from the kitchen and Ahsoka heard heavy footsteps approaching. "What is it?" the Besalisk asked irritably as he wiped two of his hands on his apron. He didn't seem to have noticed her yet, because it wasn't until his employee shakily raised a finger and pointed at her that his eyes fell on her as well.

"Hello, Dex," Ahsoka murmured uncertainly.

The addressed stared at her, opened his mouth, only to close it again directly. Instead, he turned his head to Hermoine. "You can call it a day. I can handle the rest on my own."

The blonde briefly looked like she was about to protest, but Dex cut her off. "Come on, Hermoine. Go on home. And you haven't seen anything here."

She gave Ahsoka a quick look before nodding. "Whatever you say, boss. Don't catch any trouble."

Then she walked quickly past her and grabbed her coat. Both Dex and Ahsoka waited, spellbound, until the door closed behind her.

"Ahsoka...," he then said, shaking his head, "What... what are you doing here?"

Suddenly Ahsoka wasn't so sure it had been a good idea to come here. "I... I'm sorry. I should go..."

Quickly, despite his rather bulky stature, he stepped forward and grabbed her arm. "No, it's okay," he cast a cautious glance out the window, "Come on." He let go of her again and shooed her toward the kitchen.

Still a little unsettled, Ahsoka followed silently.

"I didn't expect you to show up here," he eventually admitted when they finally had some privacy, "Are you okay?"

She was still a bit speechless, so she just managed a shallow nod. Dex, meanwhile, looked at her with concern, and Ahsoka sensed his uncertainty. She had gotten him into trouble with her appearance. Her stomach twisted painfully.

The Besalisk tilted his head. "How can I help you, kid?"

Ahsoka gnawed at her cheeks, crossing her arms tightly over her chest as if they would provide some kind of cover. "I guess… you heard what happened?"

"I don't think anyone has gotten around that news," he paused, studying her gaze, "But it wasn't you, was it?"

"No," she croaked hoarsely, "And yet I feel like I'm to blame for everything."

Before she could stop herself, the words spilled out of her. "If I hadn't insisted on being part of the investigation and hadn't agreed to talk to Tormund, then...," her voice broke and tears came to her eyes, "Then my master would never have done what he did... everything would still be normal."

Ahsoka sobbed and wiped the tears from her eyes, but they didn't stop flowing. Through her blurry vision she barely noticed how Dex had stepped closer to her, his hand hovering over her shoulder as if he was unsure about touching her.

"Calm down, kid…," he tried soothingly, "None of this is your fault."

He waited patiently until her tears subsided before speaking again. "How does a hot meal and a little rest sound to you?"

It wasn't until Dex mentioned food that Ahsoka realized how hungry she was. "Thank you, Dex. That would be nice," she blurted out.

The Besalisk threw her a small smile. "Okay. I'll just lock up the front and I'll make you something."

Ahsoka glanced after him as he disappeared back into the front of the diner. Although he barely knew her, Dex hadn't turned her away. She couldn't say why she had decided to come here. Perhaps because she could no longer bear to be in the presence of her master. Or maybe because she had hoped to be able to run away from it all for a moment. From her past. Her fear. From herself. Exhausted, she settled down on a small stool in the corner and buried her head in her hands.

A little later, Dex returned, turning off the light behind him. He looked at her again, a little worried, but said nothing. Instead, he turned on the stove and routinely began to prepare the meal.

It didn't take him long to hold out a plate with a Nerfburger on it. A rather forced smile crept into Ahsoka's face as she accepted the food. "Thank you."

Her favorite dish. She couldn't even tell you how many times she had been here with Anakin and Obi-Wan. It only felt like a distant memory. How the two of them played jokes on each other. How they laughed together. Both liked to deny it again and again, but they had been sometimes more alike than they had wanted to admit. Just like brothers.

And now there was nothing. Absently, she swallowed the last bite of the burger. For a moment she sat still, staring at the empty plate as if it were able to turn back time and give her back her family. Her grip tightened. It wasn't fair.

And then the anger was back. Burning and biting, raging like an inferno inside her. Ahsoka let out a scream and with a bang the plate shattered on the floor.

Stunned, her eyes fixed on the pile of shards at her feet.

"Oh no...," Ahsoka jumped to her feet, "...I'm sorry." Before Dex could even make an attempt to stop her, she was already kneeling down, frantically trying to puck up the shards. Of course, it didn't take long before one of the pieces caught on her skin. Hissing, Ahsoka jerked her hand back, eyes roaming over the bleeding gash inside her palm.

"Here," Dex offered her a towel, "Hold this to the wound. I have a medkit upstairs in my apartment."

Ahsoka accepted the cloth and held it to her hand. It stung, but just then the pain helped her ground herself a little. Meanwhile, Dex had begun picking up the remaining shards, much more carefully than she had tried before.

Ashamed, she pressed her mouth into a thin line. "I should be better than this."

The Besalisk picked up the last shards and hummed. "Don't worry, even you Jedi can't always close yourself off from your emotions. It's normal to be angry in a situation like yours. I won't judge you for it."

He let his gaze roam the kitchen once more before opening the door that led to a stairwell. "Come on, let's go upstairs. Then I can tend to your hand and you can get some rest."

When she entered his apartment, she was admittedly surprised. It was small, but still beautiful. There were many plants in the room, some of which Ahsoka could identify as exotic spice or tea plants, while others she had never seen before. And it was warm. A stark contrast to the gloomy, rainy weather outside.

"Sit on the couch," he said, pointing to the piece of furniture, "I'll get the medkit."

Clutching the hand with the towel and holding it in front of her chest, she sat down. There was already a pillow and blanket at the foot of the couch, as if it was a regular occurrence for Dex to have someone sleeping here.

Dex came back with the kit and a large towel in his hand and placed both items on the coffee table, then opened the kit.

"Give me your hand," he said then, holding out his meaty, compared to hers, huge hand. Wincing, she took the towel from her palm and held out her injured hand to him. Despite his stature, he was careful and very precise as he first cleaned the wound and then covered it with a bactapatch. The cut still hurt, but not as bad as before.

Sighing, Ahsoka withdrew her arm and lowered her head. "Thank you... For everything I mean."

Dex grunted in response and eyed her carefully. He then handed her the large towel from the table. "You can dry off a little with this. I'm afraid I don't have any suitable clothes for you."

The padawan gratefully took the cloth from his hand and began rubbing it over her arms as if it would help her banishing the cold that had settled deep inside her.

"Now, would you like to tell me why you decided to come here?"

Ahsoka looked up to watch him, trying to discern if he was still uncomfortable in her presence. But there was nothing of the sort. Just concern and somehow the feeling that he had sat here like this with someone before. She licked her dry lips before she spoke. "I don't know to be honest. It's just... all too much. I didn't know where to go. And suddenly I ended up here."

The Besalisk laughed harshly, a shallow grin on his face. "It's not the first time I've heard that."

She perked up at his words. "What do you mean?"

He nodded briefly toward the blanket and pillow. "Obi-Wan," he said, "The man has become a regular visitor lately." A frown appeared on his face. "I'm worried about him. He's become so… quiet, withdrawn… and sad."

Her chest tightened as she thought about her grandmaster. "I don't know if I'll ever see him again," she admitted quietly, "I can't even tell if he's alright."

She had tried to reach out to him but the meager connection they shared had been muffled. How she wished it were different. That she would know the man, who had done almost as much for her training as her actual master, better.

Dex shifted on his feet and grabbed something of the table. "You know… I have his comm frequency. If you want to try, I mean."

He held out the small device. Ahsoka swallowed thickly. What was she supposed to say?

Did he even want to hear anything from her? After everything that had happened?

As if Dex could read her mind, he pressed the commlink into her unbandaged hand. "Do it. He won't blame you... He wouldn't be able to, he loves you way too much for that."

Ahsoka was sure that Master Kenobi had also loved Anakin like a brother. And yet she was no longer sure whether there was anything other than hatred between the two of them. Why should that be different for her? She had resented his choice to go undercover as Hardeen as well, hadn't talked to him for weeks after that. Although they shared quarters, Anakin and she had managed to shut him out. He had started to disappear every now and then. Sometimes for hours, sometimes for days. Had taken solo missions. Just not to bother them more than necessary, when they obviously didn't want him there. In his own home. Only now did she realize how often her grandmaster had actually not come home in the evening. And it was also clear where he had been then. At least she hoped that he had ended up here.

Ahsoka felt like she was about to be sick again. Her thumb hovered over the commlink. She needed to this. Not just for herself.

Drawing in a deep breath, she started the call. The device beeped. And beeped. It felt like an eternity, but then-

Nothing happened. The call ended.

'The contact is not available,' was displayed in glowing, green letters.

Letting her shoulders slump, the commlink fell into her lap. "He's not answering."

Dex frowned. "It doesn't have to mean anything, maybe he just doesn't have his commlink."

"Or maybe he just doesn't want to talk to me," she muttered before she could help herself and picked up the device to hold it out to Dex, "But thanks for trying anyway."

Carefully, he plucked the commlink from her hand. "That won't be it. Besides, he won't know it's you since you're calling from my device. So, if anything he doesn't want to talk to good old Dex."

It was a poor attempt at humor but still it made Ahsoka laugh a little, even if it only lasted a moment. "You're probably right. Maybe he's still in the Halls of Healing and no one brought him his commlink."

She paused. "I just hope Anakin didn't hurt him as bad as it looked."

But she couldn't get her hopes up. Things were looking grim. Not just for her. "Obi-Wan is strong," Dex tried to reassure her, though he sounded unconvinced, "You might want to try again tomorrow. Right now, you should get some rest."

Ahsoka nodded weakly. "That would probably be the best... even though I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep."

Dex scratched his chin as he thought about it. "Maybe I can help you with that. Hang on a sec."

With that he disappeared into the adjacent kitchen and began rummaging through the cabinets. Ahsoka craned her head from her spot on the couch, to catch a glimpse of what he was doing. After a moment he seemed to have found what he was looking for, because next he filled a pot with water and heated it on the stove. Dex was making tea, she realized.

It didn't take long before the distinctive whistling of the kettle could be heard and Dex reentered the room with a steaming cup of tea in his hand. "Here. This is herbal tea," he said, handing her the cup, which immediately warmed her hands, "Helps you sleep... or if you're hungover."

"How did you figure that out?" she smirked as she took a sip, the tea helping her warm up.

Immediately, Dex's face screwed up and Ahsoka wished she had never asked. Still, she got her answer. "Well...like I said, Obi-Wan was here a lot. Sometimes only after he got drunk in some bar before. I know he's capable of suppressing the effects of alcohol. But still, he didn't."

Ahsoka couldn't bring herself to look at him. "How many times?" she asked instead, feeling guilty.

The Besalisk merely shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't count."

The padawan set the cup down with a sigh and rubbed her temples. "It should have never gotten that far," she mumbled, "That he felt like he needed to drink his worries away instead of talking to us."

Dex pulled up the armchair that was next to the couch and sat down. "Getting him to talk openly about his concerns is as impossible as convincing him that it's not all his fault. I know he still blames himself for what happened on Naboo – and probably for a lot of other things. The point is… that you're not responsible for his decisions."

"Yes, but still I contributed to them," she shot back glumly, "After the thing with Hardeen... my master and I had known that he wanted to talk to us. But we didn't listen. And then suddenly he was gone. And neither of us cared enough to go looking for him."

"We both know you care about him. And I know for a fact that he never doubted that."

Despite his soothing words, she didn't feel any better. She couldn't shake the feeling that she could have done more, shouldn't have been so ignorant and dismissive.

Sighing, Dex took the cup from the table and held it out to here again. "You should drink it before it gets all cold."

As Ahsoka sipped her tea this time, a memory came up. She had just become Anakin's Padawan. After the battle on Christophsis, she had fallen ill. It had been nothing special, just the flu. But it had been enough that she was bound to the temple for the time being. Unfortunately, her master had to leave again, which was why she had stayed behind only with Master Obi-Wan. Although he himself had had a lot to do, he had always taken care of her. Especially by bringing her a warm tea again and again. After that, she had always felt better, even if she wondered if it had really been the tea.

Ahsoka emptied the cup in a few gulps and handed it back to Dex, who was still sitting in front of her. "Thank you, Dex."

"Sure, kid," he responded kindly, "Now lie down. You'll be safe here. And we'll see tomorrow."

Signing her defeat, she nodded curtly and then grabbed the blanket and pillow, lying down on the sofa. Dex got up from his seat and walked quietly in the kitchen, probably to put the dishes away, before disappearing into his own room.

When silence finally fell, she stared at the ceiling, thoughts circling in her head. She wanted to hope that everything could get back to normal.

Unfortunately, it was never that simple. Some broken things were not meant to be fixed.

I know Dex is an odd choice for Ahsoka to seek refuge with, but somewhere I liked the idea and just rolled with it. Hope you like it as well.