He never told her anything, and it hurt. It hurt feeling like a stupid child that was too young to understand. She had idolized him since she was a little, and this was how she got repaid. Secrets and lies. She had every right to hate him – didn't she? But she just couldn't admit it.

There he sat; tired, weak, and bruised. She looked no different, she felt no different. They were the same. But what she had seen, what she had heard, it made her wonder. How many more secrets were there? Had she even seen what that really was? Her Master with the Senator. That was what it seemed. She wasn't sure, and she didn't have the strength to beg him for an explanation.

They were all mud soaked, but of course. They had just fought in the jungles of another planet. Now, though, now it was taking its toll. She had fought with every ounce of energy she possessed, leaving her shaky and weak. Her legs trembled as she stood, daring to collapse. She couldn't feel her fingers, and her head kept pounding. Regardless of this, she stared at him. He was sitting down, and a part of her yearned to go sit with him and hug him, reassure him he could trust her – seeing he believed so much that she was untrustworthy. His head was in his hands, and she could see his shoulders shaking. He was alienated from the clones, sitting away from their group. She was too.

There was something in her heart she couldn't describe. Raw anger, raw hatred directed at – well, she still needed to figure out who these emotions were directed at. But another bit of her heart tried to persuade her to be kind. He was weak, he was tired, he was human. Weren't they all? So to speak…

And it wasn't as if she had a right to know about him and Senator Amidala. For all she knew, they were just really close. So close you saw them kiss? She tried to banish the thought.

She hadn't registered the movement of her legs, or the fact that she was on the floor, losing it in front of him. She hadn't seen him run over, or noticed he was there until she was picked up into his arms. Nor did she notice how scared he looked. She only had seen strength and bravery from him. Never his caring… at least for her. And she didn't notice her face was wet from her tears because she had refused to believe she could cry.

But as he held her, asking what was wrong, she realized that she needed to give him some leeway. It was a big thing to tell her, and she probably wouldn't've wanted to know in the first place.

She was jolted out of thought when he grabbed her hand tightly, begging her to respond. Yes, she was alright, just shaken. And as she cried, she tried to tell him she knew… but the words refused to come out. Instead the truth decided to make her cry harder, physically tiring her yet again.

"Ahsoka! Answer me!" he begged.

At a loss for what to say, she squeezed his hand. There was no way she could tell him she knew his secret – at least not in front of everyone. He asked yet again what was wrong, and she yelled – trying to conquer the pain and tears – that she was too weak to stand.

As he picked her up again, cradling her in his arms, she heard him promise to keep her safe.

Secrets. It was tearing them apart; she knew it – even if he didn't. But she would help him – even if it meant hiding from everyone, too. She would never do this for anyone. But… just for him.

Only him.