That's right! It's here! I've FINALLY finished it x3 It only took a little over a year... Better than my first story, which took three years... Errrr, yeah... I actually got spurred into finishing this one when the urge to start a Pokemon or Teen Titans fic overwhelmed me. But don't worry, expect more Star Wars one-shots from me in the future (I'm not sure I'll be doing any more full Star Wars stories, but it's possible!).

But technically it's not finished until it's finished so here's the conclusion... the final chapter... the big kaboom xD

I want to thank everyone who read/supported/faved/alerted me and/or this story or my one-shots. You all have been incredible. Especially for bearing with my slowness and OCs. I hate OCs and here I was all a hypocrite making one! Final reviews are wonderful, and don't be afraid to call this chapter cheesy... because it defiantly is xD

Oh, and to those who gave me advice to correct things and helped me with my Blaster and lightsaber questions, thanks so much! I ended up just not writing about Ahsoka's wound too much like I originally intended, but I decided to go with the idea that it bled anyways.

Enjoy the final chapter!

Chapter Twelve: Finally Home

The Resolute hummed steadily as it drifted through space, heading back toward Coruscant. On board, the ship was lively but quiet. Except maybe the Med Bay, where the injured Padawans were being tending to, two Jedi watching with smirks on their faces.

"Ugh, I feel light headed, cold, and hot all at the same time," Ahsoka muttered. "I'd rather be fighting Grievous by myself again than this!"

"You're running a fever, Snips. And you lost a fair amount of blood from the Blaster wound Sing hit you with," Anakin explained, walking over and helping the medical droid bandage the rest of the wound now that it was appropriate for a male to enter. Ahsoka's wound was just above the chest, but below the collar bone on her right side. Not fatal, but painful and bloody after the length of time it took to get from the Deception to the Med Bay.

"A fever?"

"Just a small one. You started to show signs of an infection, but the medical droids managed to clear away the germs," Barriss informed from where she was lying on a cot. She had suffered serious blood loss, bruised ribs, swelling, and major cuts and stabs from Grievous' torture, but was to be fine with some rest, tender care, and a blood donation. Her yellowed skin had paled more than it normally looked and her body looked ragged, eyes surrounded by bags showing tiredness.

"Wait… when did that happen?"

"After you fainted while I was driving us back to the Resolute," Luminara piped in from beside Barriss' bedside, a slight smile on her lips.

"I fainted?" Ahsoka seemed to get pale at the idea that she had passed out on the return journey. "No way! All that awesome fighting and the whole rescue mission and I faint? Talk about the uncoolest way to end that whole thing."

Anakin and Barriss chuckled while Luminara just continued to smirk. Ahsoka, who had been sitting up on her bed, slumped back as soon as Anakin and the medical droid finished her bandage. Anakin quickly went and wetted a cloth with cold water before placing it on Ahsoka's forehead. Suddenly, his face seemed more sullen to her. His young features looked creased with concern and a sigh that escaped his lips clearly showed his internal aggravation.

"Uh, okay… You don't have to be taking care of me, you know," Ahsoka muttered, feeling like her master was upset because he felt he had to help her. She could have easily gotten the rag herself if she wanted.

Anakin, realizing what she had thought his sigh meant, smiled sadly and shook his head, sitting down on the chair right beside the bed. "It's not you I'm upset with, Snips. It's myself. I saw Aurra getting ready to shoot you and… I hesitated. If I had been quicker, you would have never been hurt."

"Master…"

"Hold up a moment. If I had been quicker, I would have never been captured and the whole plan to invade the Deception would have never had to happen to begin with!" Barriss retorted from her bed.

"But you only got hurt because you had to come rescue me after I got caught," Anakin fired back, glancing over at the Mirialan Padawan.

"And you would have never gotten caught if the Separatists hadn't set the trap in the first place. It's no one's fault any of this happened but Count Dooku's and whoever he's working for," Luminara butted in, her voice suddenly icy and clear to the others that they were to stop the senseless arguing.

The room quieted. Ahsoka shivered from her fever and suddenly the light headedness began to drum into a large ache. She closed her eyes for what seemed like only a moment, but when she reopened them, Barriss was fast asleep and Luminara was gone. Anakin was still slumped in the chair, head craned around to rest against the wall, eyes closed. The Togruta pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around the room for a sign of how long she had been out. Though nothing indicated to her the time, she realized she was thinking clearer and noticed for the first time that Rootie wasn't to be seen.

"Snips?"

Ahsoka turned to see Anakin stirred awake and she smiled at him in greeting. She couldn't believe he had just slept in the chair beside her bed. Wouldn't he rather be on the bridge or with Obi-wan, Luminara, and… oh.

"Hey, Master," she finally said.

"Feeling better?" he asked, leaning in to check on her, feeling her forehead. At that moment, Ahsoka noticed the cloth was gone. Anakin or Luminara must have removed it while she had slept. So much for thinking better, she hadn't even noticed the stupid cloth was gone.

"Tons. Hey, Master…"

"Yeah?"

"Where's Rootie?"

At that moment, Anakin's eyes averted her gaze, but he quickly brought them back after a moment. "Well… I haven't really left your room but last I heard she was with Obi-wan."

"Right…"

"Oh, good, you're awake."

Anakin and Ahsoka glanced up to see Commander Cody and Rex walking into the room. The two clones looked satisfied and well. The battle on the Clones part had been successful thanks to Windu showing up in time to aide.

"Barriss isn't," Anakin pointed out.

"Well, we best be waking her. The meeting's going to start soon," Rex said, then strolled over to Barriss' bed and shook her awake. The older Padawan groggily blinked her eyes and pushed herself up, looking around and squinting as she tried to fully wake up. "Eh... er… morning?"

"We're in the middle of space, I don't know what time of day it is," Rex shook his head. "All I know is you need to get up and get to the Bridge where the Council wants to speak to us."

"Why not wait until we're back at Coruscant?" Ahsoka asked as she slid out of her bed.

"We're not recapping the whole battle. However, we do need to let the Council know some of the important details such as Ventress' defeat," Anakin said.

"Sure, okay," Barriss shrugged.

Ahsoka followed Cody from the room with Anakin, Barriss, and Rex taking up the rear. Barriss limped along, her leg still horribly sore from before she was kidnapped by Greivous. She looked better, though, and Ahsoka assumed that Luminara had donated some of her blood to Barriss' cause. Ahsoka questioned how that would affect Barriss' Force ability, but didn't voice the question out loud. She'd see eventually.

When they finally entered the bridge, Ahsoka glanced up to see who all hovered by the communications board. Obi-wan stood with his arm in a sling, Luminara beside him. Cody and Rex joined alongside Jockey on the other side of the board. Rootie was standing a bit away from the Jedi, her face downcast and eyes swollen from what looked to be tears. No wonder she was hiding her face from the Council.

The holograms consisted of Windu, on the ship gliding in hyperspace alongside the Resolute, Grand Master Yoda, Plo Koon, Mundi, Kit Fisto, and Shaak Ti whose locations were mostly Coruscant, except Mundi and Ti.

Anakin, Ahsoka, and Barriss moved into view and dipped their heads in greeting to the masters.

"Good to see the two of you are recovering as well as Rootie," Kit Fisto said, the first to speak since Ahsoka and the others arrived on the bridge. He obviously meant Rootie's physical injury and not her emotional one.

Ahsoka spared a glance at Rootie, whose clothes concealed the ugly looking wound from the Force Lightning Dooku had sideswiped her with. The female didn't even waver from where her gaze focused on the ground.

"As fast as we can, Masters," Barriss spoke up for the two of them.

"A quick report of the mission and then a full debrief once you arrive to Coruscant," Plo Koon informed, now turning the attention to the three Jedi. "Including why you're wearing that sling, Kenobi."

Obi-wan chuckled. "I dislocated my shoulder, apparently. Didn't even realize it until I was flying Ahsoka's Star Fighter back to the Resolute. No real harm, though. Just sore and apparently in need of rest, though I'm sure I could move it fine…"

"Those silly medical droids. Always think they know how to take care of us best," Anakin quipped.

"I suppose I'm mostly setting a good example… Anyways, back to the subject. The mission was neither a complete success nor a complete failure. Ventress had been removed as a threat while Grievous will need to take the time to get two of his arms fixed and his breathing back on track," Obi-wan continued.

"I managed to injure Sing gravely. Jammed my lightsaber into her leg. However, she did manage to escape," Luminara sighed, eyes narrowed as she recalled the battle with Aurra, who somehow managed to slip out of her grasp.

"Our Star Cruisers pretty much blew up the Deception, but we fear Dooku and Grievous still managed to get away in an escape pod following one of their retreating ships. We're also sad to announce that the reason Kamau has not joined this meeting is because he has become one with the Force," Obi-wan finished, seeming to let out a breath for everyone that they had all seemed to have been holding. Ahsoka wasn't surprised to find that no one could just honestly say, 'Kamau's dead.'

"Mourn the loss of an honorable Jedi, we will. Upon your return," Yoda said, and his words seemed to conclude the meeting, but none of the holograms vanished quite yet. Ahsoka looked up to see their heads bowed for a moment of honoring Kamau. She quickly followed suit along with her companions.

"I look forward to hearing all about this at the debriefing upon your return," Shaak Ti eventually said, ending the silence. She was still on Kamino. "May the Force be with you all."

She blinked out, followed by Mundi and Fisto who also spoke their goodbyes.

"When can we expect the great return?" Plo Koon asked.

"About twelve more hours," Windu grunted. "It's a good thing Ventress was killed, or I would have had some serious issues about this whole rescue mission should it have cost one of our Jedi his life for a Padawan."

Windu's stern gaze rested on Barriss for a mere second before he also blinked out, not even saying goodbye. Barriss winced and looked away, suddenly feeling like Yoda and Plo Koon also had some words for her.

"Ignore that comment, Barriss. Kamau and all the others accepted the risk when they went after you. They knew that they could either come out with you and an enemy dead, or countless of other possibilities. It was not your fault for any of this, understand that," Plo Koon said, his gravelly voice sounding irritated with Windu. "May the Force be with you."

Plo Koon was gone, leaving just Yoda standing there. "A war, it is not, without loss. No heroes, no Jedi, without loss. But victory there can be, so long as all is not lost. Nothing is all lost, so victory is possible."

Then it was quiet.

"Windu sure knows how to get uptight about things," Anakin snorted, breaking the silence. He turned and trotted over to peer out one of the vast windows. The stars rushing by so fast and blindingly made his appearance look like a shadow against the brightness.

"And you know just how to make him uptight," Obi-wan commented, shaking his head. "I'm going to grab a bite. Anyone care to join me?"

"I'd love the pleasure," Luminara smiled and followed him from the room.

The three clones that had been patiently watching echoed their agreement and filed from the room. Ahsoka heard a low rumble and glanced over at Barriss.

"Sorry… I'm hungry," Barriss muttered, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

Ahsoka laughed and led Barriss after the others, glancing back and noticing Rootie following. She figured Rootie would easily catch up since Barriss' limping wasn't allowing them to go at a regular pace, though the older Padawan was certainly trying hard to walk normally.

"Barriss, if it hurts, you don't have to rush. The food isn't going anywhere."

"Yes, I know, but…" Barriss just shook her head, unsure what to say.

"Hey, uh, Rootie," Ahsoka started to say, but turned to see that Rootie was no longer following them. She must have ducked into one of the halls toward the hangar. Ahsoka paused and, in turn, Barriss turned around and stopped, as well.

"We should follow her."

"She probably wants to be alone, Ahsoka," Barriss frowned.

"That doesn't mean we're going to let her be alone!"

Ahsoka started off down the path she was sure Rootie had taken. Barriss slowly loped along behind her, muttering something about her stomach and the grumbling feeling dwelling inside it.

Once inside the hangar, Ahsoka looked around when the beeping of Artoo suddenly caught her attention. She and Barriss wheeled around to see Rootie knelt down beside the droid, forehead propped against it and tears streaming down her face. Her hair was like a tangled explosion around her head and her clothes had wet spots from her tears.

"Rootie," Barriss murmured, stepping forward and attempting to sit beside the human. Her hands rested on Rootie's back comfortingly.

"Oh… hi, guys," Rootie sniffed, wiping at her face with a sleeve and glancing over. Her cheeks were red and glistening with tears.

Ahsoka's heart went out to her. She realized at that moment what had made it easier to tolerate Rootie's… oddness. Rootie's bond with Kamau was similar to her own with Anakin. Anakin and Kamau didn't act alike and Rootie and Ahsoka weren't twins either, but the obvious sign that the two partners needed each other was there. Rootie had needed someone dependable and responsible to guide and protect her. Kamau had needed someone to ease the burden he faced with the death of his other Padawans, and to show him that things could still be good. Kamau was, essentially, the father figure Rootie had always wanted. One that her real father, Rook, never could have been here with the Jedi, but she had wished for.

Ahsoka blinked, thinking about how Anakin had waited out long hours, watching her and waiting to see that she would be alright while she slept. How the two of them would risk their lives to save the other. They were both reckless, yet their responsibilities towards each other kept them alive. It gave them things to fight for and protect without just driving headfirst into situations with no thought. When one wasn't thinking through everything, the other pointed it out. When one was about to do something utterly stupid, the other was there to help fix the mess.

Ahsoka chuckled to herself about how her and Anakin's relationship wasn't quite as sentimental as Rootie's and Kamau's had been.

"He's one with the Force now," Barriss was soothing Rootie when Ahsoka finally came back to reality.

Rootie had managed to stop crying and was now just sniffing, sitting on the ground pathetically. Ahsoka wondered if she would be like that if Anakin was gone. She figured she'd be similar, but also angry. Rootie was more open to expressing her pain, unlike Ahsoka.

"I know… I'm sorry. Jedi are forbidden to make attachments, but," Rootie stopped to suck in a breath, "I did… I can't do it anymore. I can't be a Jedi. I wanna' go home. I can't fight anymore, I can't risk losing anyone else. I don't want to risk everything again for someone, only to lose them!"

Barriss looked up at Ahsoka, stunned. Artoo beeped sadly from where he had remained beside the sitting girls. Ahsoka's mouth opened, ready to say something, but she was unable. Rootie had taken the Force Lightning for Kamau, only to lose him in the end still. She looked down upon the girl before her. Rootie was looking up, eyes showing sorrow, and yet, a determination of some sort.

"Master Kamau wouldn't want you to be upset, Rootie. He'd want you to be happy," Ahsoka finally stammered.

"I know. Which is why I won't ever be a Jedi. All its ever been is a fight to prove myself. But to who? To others. I was never proving anything about myself to myself. I want doing something for others to make me happy, too. But being a Jedi won't accomplish that. I'll find another way to help others… One that doesn't involve this war."

When the whole story had finally been told to the Jedi Council, the group had filed out and gotten some lunch and rest. Now, standing outside the Jedi temple at a docking station, Ahsoka and Barriss stood with their masters and Obi-wan before Rootie, who had packed up and was ready to leave… for good.

"We've located your family Rootie and have communicated with them. They are more than willing to take you back under their wing," Obi-wan coughed, still trying to get over the shock that Rootie was leaving. He hadn't been expecting that. Seeing as he had still been hoping for another Padawan he had actually been thinking Rootie would be his with Kamau's passing.

"Thank you, Master Kenobi," Rootie bowed.

"There's a ship coming to take you home. It'll be here in a moment," Luminara added.

"It was great to meet you, Rootie. I'm sorry it all had to go down like this. However, I hope you find what you're looking for back home. It has been a great pleasure," Barriss said, curtsying slightly before Rootie suddenly pulled her into a hug. The Mirialan returned it gently to avoid hurting Rootie's stomach.

Since the talk on the ship, Rootie had decided she was completely sure about her idea to leave. So she had talked about it with the Council after the meeting, then been preparing to go with the help of Ahsoka and Barriss. Now she was ready. She hadn't wanted to stay a moment longer.

"I'll miss you, Rootie. But I won't miss our trashcan full of hair brushes," Ahsoka chuckled.

Rootie attempted to run a hand through her hair, but it got caught, of course. She sighed and pulled the Togruta into a hug, as well. Ahsoka returned it and smiled softly as a ship arrived. Rootie gave a small wave and turned, boarding the ship. As it began to take off into the sky, she waved out the window. Ahsoka, Barriss, and the three Jedi all returned the gesture confidently, knowing that this adventure, despite its loss, would still find joy for Rootie.

"Alright, Barriss. It's time for you to go back and rest some more. Your wounds aren't healed just yet and you're still weak," Luminara instructed. "So the more you rest and the faster you heal, the sooner we can get back to training."

"Excellent," Barriss sighed. "I suppose I'll be seeing you around then, Ahsoka?"

"Yeah. Have a good nap, Barriss. May the Nap be with you."

"Naturally. Evening, Master Kenobi. Anakin."

Barriss dipped her head to the two Jedi before following her master back inside the Temple. Ahsoka watched the doors close behind her friend and soon she was alone with Anakin and Obi-wan. She turned and looked up at them, grinning.

"I don't like it when Ahsoka grins like that," Obi-wan chuckled. "Looks too much like your own grin, Anakin."

"Hey!" Anakin grunted.

Ahsoka laughed, shrugging. She hadn't meant to look mischievous, she was just… happy. Unlike Rootie, she knew her place. Here, with the Jedi. With her master and her friends. Even if she was dying on her deathbed, she knew she would still feel alive with all of them around to support her. That's what made fighting this war worth it for her.

"I'm off. Even with this sling on, I still have to get things done. I'll be seeing the two of you later," Obi-wan smiled, and then headed back into the Temple, as well.

"Hey, Ahsoka," Anakin said once his former master had vanished.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna' see what Coruscant looks like from a Senatorial Apartment?"

"Well, when you two aren't sucking face, I can admit the view of Coruscant is pretty nice," Ahsoka smirked, sitting on the edge of the balcony overlooking the planet, but glancing inside at the two young lovers.

Anakin had his arm wrapped around Padmé, holding her close. She rested her head on his shoulder and the two stood just in the cover of the door leading out to the balcony, to avoid being seen in the last dying rays of light. Once it was night, would they dare venture out together beside Ahsoka.

"We've only kissed twice, Snips," Anakin chuckled, shaking his head at his Padwan.

Ahsoka shrugged and turned, letting her legs dangle off the edge and looking over to the ground below. Then she looked up to the horizon and watched as ships and speeders and all sorts of machine roared by. As the last few sunlight rays peaked out, the world began to throw on its veil of night. Lights began to flicker on and soon it looked like a million fireflies were out floating through the air, just beyond Ahsoka's reach.

"Beautiful," she heard Padmé whisper. The couple had decided to actually come out on the balcony now, leaning on the edge that Ahsoka was sitting on and watching everything race around them, as well.

"You see this all the time…" Ahsoka pointed out.

"That doesn't make it any less beautiful, though. There are thousands of lives out there. Wondrous, living creatures. It's beautiful because they're all who we're fighting for. They're why we must win this war," the Senator explained, leaning into another caress from Anakin, who chuckled softly.

"And just to kick Separatist butt," her master said, winking at her.

Typical Anakin comment.

-HOKAY!

So, not the best ending sentence, but I felt like it got things back to a level or normalacy, showing that everything has been wrapped up 8D

Were you all surprised with what I did to Rootie? I wanted to do something you wouldn't expect without killing her off x3

So, cheesy? Yeah, pretty much. Hopefully not bad, though!

Review and whatnot. At this point, y'all get the picture of what I normally say. Don't flame (it's the last chapter, would anyone really be that lame...?) I mean, if you didn't like the story why would you read to the flippin' end? When I hate stories, I stop reading.

Wow, I'm getting rambly...

I just need to end this quickly xD

Once again, love goes out to you all!

Deyoxis