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“I hope your happy,” Anakin glared at the members of the council as he stormed out, chasing after Ahsoka.
***
“I’m not coming home, don’t look for me,” Ahsoka said finality in her tone as she turned from Anakin, and walked down the steps of the Jedi temple.
Tears slipped from Anakin’s eyes as he watched her walk away, she was leaving him, and it hurt, but he understood, there had been times when he wanted to walk away just as she was, but he’d stayed.
He turned around walking back into the temple, where he found Obi-Wan in the room of a thousand fountains, he could see that Obi-Wan regretted what had happened with Ahsoka.
“I’m sorry Anakin, I should have tried harder, I shouldn’t have let the council expel her,” Obi-Wan spoke quietly.
“Yes, you should have!” Anakin exclaimed, his voice hard and angry. “you could have tried harder, you should have tried harder.”
Obi-Wan turned away from Anakin’s glare, “I am sorry Anakin, I hope you know that.”
Anakin paused slightly before walking out, leaving Obi-wan alone to stew in his thoughts.
***
That night Anakin slept restlessly, his dreams filled with Ahsoka walking away, it was still dark when he gave up on sleep and walked to the room of a thousand fountains, and sat under a small tree.
That’s where Obi-wan found him a couple hours later, dried tear tracks on his face as he sat staring out into the distance.
“If I could go back and change the way things went I would,” Obi-wan started to walk away when Anakin ignored him, but he paused when Anakin spoke.
“I know your sorry, but that doesn’t do much good now does it?”
“You’re right, it doesn’t mat-…”
“Don’t say anything else, I know you’re sorry, just stay,” Anakin spoke quietly, his anger draining out, leaving sadness and regret.
So Obi-Wan stayed, he sat down next to him, and did something he rarely did, he put his arm around Anakin’s shoulders, hugging him loosely, and Anakin leant into the touch, drifting off to sleep on his shoulder.
***
A few hours later Anakin started to wake up, to discover that Obi-wan was meditating, he sat there silently for a few minutes, before he said, “I want to find her, she doesn’t need to come back to the order, I just want to know she’s safe, I need to know she’s safe.”
Obi-Wan nodded, unsurprised, “then we’ll find her.”
***
With the war and nearly constant missions and fighting months had past before Anakin and Obi-wan discovered Ahsoka’s location, and at their first chance they went to find her, she was in the underworld of Coruscant, trying to earn enough credits to get of the planet.
They found her in a dingy diner, eating a small meal, when she saw them she was shocked, she hasn’t expected them to coming searing for her.
“You shouldn’t have come, you can’t be here, you have a war to be fighting,” Ahsoka muttered as they slid into the seat in front of her.
“I don’t care about that,” Anakin said as he looked over her carefully, “I needed to know you were okay.”
“I’m fine,” Ahsoka smiled reassuringly, and she wasn’t lying, maybe it was a bit hard to get credits, and the council’s quickness in believing her guilty still hurt, though some had apologized, Windu’s apology was less an apology and more trying to excuse the council’s behavior.
“I’m truly sorry for letting the council expel you Ahsoka,” Obi-wan apologized.
Ahsoka smiled, “I know you are.”
Obi-wan nodded, grateful she accepted his apology, “I must go, I have a council meeting to attend.”
“Goodbye Obi-wan,” Anakin said, as he left heading back to the temple.
Ahsoka and Anakin sat in silence for quite some time, before Anakin spoke again, “why don’t you stay on Coruscant?”
“Why should I?” Ahsoka replied.
“Because I missed you, you don’t have to come back to the Jedi, I just don’t want you to leave.”
“I know Anakin, but I need to find my own path.”
“Do you really need to leave to do that? Do you even have any idea where you would go?”
“No, I haven’t really given any thought to where I would go,” Ahsoka replied hesitantly.
“Then stay here, with us.”
Ahsoka grinned, “I’ll think about it, and when I decide I’ll find you.”
Anakin nodded as they stood up, and she walked off he headed back to the Temple.
***
It was a few weeks later after another mission that Anakin and Obi-wan saw Ahsoka again.
“I’ve decided to stay, I missed not seeing you both, even with your missions, it’ll be easier to see you if I’m here,” Ahsoka smiled, “I found a job as a mechanic.”
Anakin smiled, the relief clear on his face, as Obi-wan’s eyes showed that he was happy Ahsoka was staying.
“Will you ever return to the Order?” Obi-wan asked, “I’ve talked with Master Yoda, if you ever want to return, there is a place for you.”
Ahsoka looked thoughtful, “Tell Master Yoda I appreciate it, but I’m not returning, not yet at least, I have too many issues with the council, I don’t trust them.”
“I thought you would say something like that,” Obi-wan said, “and I think that’s for the best.”
Anakin smiled, Ahsoka may not be returning to the order, but she was staying, he wasn’t going to lose her, “I’m glad your staying.”
“So am I,” Ahsoka smiled, “this is always how it ends? Isn’t it?”
“The three of us together, like we should be,” Anakin replied with a grin, “even if we won’t have anymore missions together, we’ll still have each other.”
“Even when the council makes stupid decisions,”Obi-wan said as they watched the sun set over the city planet.
And Anakin smiled, he wouldn’t let this war tear them apart, the Republic would win, and the galaxy would be at peace, maybe not tomorrow, but there was no doubt in Anakin’s mind who would win the war, as he stood side by side with his brother and sister in all but blood.