The Togruta, wrapped in a gray shawl, face pale and withdrawn, looked more like a woman then she ever had. Her dim blue eyes looked at an apartment, her once beautiful smile vanished from her face. Forever? It hurt too much to tell. Crashed, and without direction, the teen believed she may look older and broken by this, but somehow, she would be alright.

Sitting on her citibike, slim fingers wrapped around the handle bars in a death grip, her breath came out in a shaky gasp. Her eyes never looked at the Temple on the way here; it was over. It was numbing, thinking back to the days in which she had walked down those halls with so many other lives. Standing, blinking away the memories, the girl looked at the door she was in front of.

Like an answer, the door was thrown open and a small, slight figure barreled out of it and galloped to Ahsoka. "Cala." She whispered as the younger child through her arms around Ahsoka's, hugging them tightly as though she'd never see her again.

Despite the sharp pain in her chest from the broken ribs, Ahsoka knelt beside her and hugged the child tightly. At least she still had Cala. She could trust the little child, she could depend on Cala to wait for her when the day was done. Taking her firmly by the shoulders, Ahsoka looked at her closely. She caught sight of a little rag thing in her arms that she could not distinguish.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing the gray and blue thing that was quite obviously old.

Cala beamed and clutched it to her chest, smiling as though she had found a treasure. To her, it probably was. To be Jedi was to renounce possessions, "Her name is Leasia. Jenx gave her to me." Ahsoka almost smiled at the little Togruta's pride in her doll - that was what Ahsoka supposed it to be.

Taking one of Cala's tiny hands in her own, Ahsoka stood up, holding back a hiss of pain. Her ribs ached terribly - that was what she got for leaving them untreated. Glancing down at Cala, they walked, hand-in-hand, to the door.

It opened, and the wise former-Jedi's bright green eyes showed sympathy as he regarded the two Togruta. Coming out, he lifted Cala, who looked several times better than she had when Ahsoka had last seen her. Her cheeks glowed orange, her purple eyes gleamed. Only her lips held a pout. "Jenx..."

The man shot a glance at Ahsoka, "Cala, I said no. Go to the room." He set the girl down, and she took off, yelling something about the Jedi, and how unfair Jenx was.

He gave a light growl, reminding Ahsoka of the brusque man she had met in the bar such a short time ago. Blinking several times, she offered a weak smile, "'No?' What did she do?"

Jenx sighed, regarding the ailing teen suspiciously, "Ahsoka, we don't need to talk about this...she knows about the Temple, is all. And she wanted to ask you about it. She was worried about you."

Ahsoka stiffened and backed up a step instinctively, nodding shortly, "I don't really want to talk...about...that." Nowhere else to turn. Trapped in a burning building, no way to escape. Ahsoka bit her lip, nodding. All she could think about was Anakin, her desperate words to try to get him to remain, and Padme. Other thoughts of the Jedi sometimes swarmed her head, making her feel sickened.

Letting out a long breath, Ahsoka added, "I'm fine, really. I need to get myself and Cala out of here, though. Will- can you come?"

Jenx smiled sadly, touching Ahsoka's shoulder, "I'm afraid not, young one. You will visit, though?"

Ahsoka nodded, tears stinging her eyes as she hugged Jenx. They threatened to spill over, but she kept them contained as she allowed herself to feel her sorrow. I will be alright...somehow...I will...be...alright.

He held her out, hands planted on her shoulders. He didn't ask any questions, didn't demand anything of her. Only his eyes glowed with trust and acceptance. He understood the child's betrayal; he understood everything. So he merely called for Cala, and the girl came loping back in.

Ahsoka knelt beside her, wrapping an old child-sized shawl around her small shoulders. Cala saw the devastation in Ahsoka's eyes and remained quiet. She didn't ask about the Temple as Ahsoka stood up. "Cala, I'll explain to you later, but we have to Coruscant. It's too dangerous for us to stay here."

The intensity in the younger girl's eyes burned as she nodded solemnly, backing into Jenx's legs and wrapping her spindly arms around them. Her eyes were wide as Jenx hugged her, bidding his soft farewell.

Reaching into his pocket, the man drew out a gem that was on a chain and handed it to Ahsoka. "It's Force-sensitive. Keep it safe, young one." Ahsoka wanted to say she didn't deserve it, but yet again, she couldn't speak. She nodded, and took Cala's hand and led her out.

The tiny, young Togrutan girl looked at Ahsoka with quivering lips and upbeat personality was somehow diminished. She crawled into the citibike without arguing and sat, no problem.

So Ahsoka took her to an old ship she had found and fixed up after she met Leia, and helped the child inside. As she started it up, she stole one last glance at the Temple. Cala stared at her, lips parted in terror, and whispered, "You almost died there."

Ahsoka nodded, not wanting to go on with the conversation, but now knowing what else to say. Cala, apparently, took it as an invitation to ask more questions, "Is that why you took me to Jenx's?"

Ahsoka found herself saying quietly, "I don't want to talk about it." And then withdrew as she regarded Cala warily.

The child didn't stop. Curiosity gleamed in her eyes as she asked, "But would I have died?" She pressed in the little-girl voice, so sweet and young and innocent, such a good child. She didn't understand Ahsoka's pain.

But all Ahsoka knew was pain, and she heard her voice snap at the innocent little girl, "I said, I don't want to talk about it!" Her voice was on the edge of growling, her eyes glazed with anger. Still staring at those shocked purple eyes, Ahsoka swallowed, hard.

"Cala, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." But the girl fled to the back of the ship. Ahsoka followed her and sat on the cot with her, stroking the sobbing child's back. I'm not sure what to do, Skyguy. How can I raise her?

There's always an answer. A voice whispered in her head, and Ahsoka started to speak, slowly, "Cala, when I can, I'll tell you all about it. Yes, you would've died. I just wanted to keep you safe. I wanted to keep us all safe."

The girl looked up, and said, "I know. Sorry for talking."

Ahsoka nodded, "It's okay." But really, she knew that over all what had happened, it wasn't. Nothing was okay, ever again.


Later, standing in the midst of red-and-white grasses, hands locked with Cala, eyes on the setting sun, Ahsoka felt her heart loosen a bit. So she still wanted to break down and cry and cry until there were no more tears.

But she didn't. There was no answer, only darkness. The voice was wrong.

Dust rose and swirled around them, and she found herself locked in a place where she could never emerge. To be continued...

AN: First off, Thank you everybody for all the reviews and everything. (especially on my first fic. lol)

Yes, it was late, but I just realized I have a book project due on the first day of school and I'm panicking about that BUT I updated. Even though it was a really short chapter.

Anyway, the next fic is Living In the Dark. Its going under star wars under Darth Vader and Unknown (because they removed Ahsoka from the character list.) and yeah...

Thanks again!