Hello dear readers! Thank you so much for the feedback on the last chapter. I truly live for your comments, so please keep them coming  :)

This chapter is a little slower, but important in the context of Anakin and Kels's relationship. However, I promise we will start to see more action soon. Stay tuned!

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Everyone had decided to get some sleep. Anakin left R2 in charge of monitoring our progress through hyperspace as we all took the down time to rest after a long day. However, I couldn't relax.

So, I found myself back in the communal space idly rolling the Coruscant Shift dice in my hands. I had eventually changed into a pair of soft cotton pants and an oversized sweater, so I was much more free to pull my knees into my chest and rest my chin on top of them.

Now more than ever, I realized I had to keep my mental shields intact. Not once could I let them slip and allow Anakin to learn the mortifying truth.

That I am in love with him.

The insignificant girl from the temple kitchen had allowed herself to fall head over heels for the very unavailable and off-limits Jedi knight. The embarrassment of him ever finding out kept me vigilant. I knew I didn't have a shot in hell. And worse than rejection, would be his pity. Poor little Kels with a crush, how pitifully cute.

I couldn't help but cringe at the thought. Obi-Wan, who was now sitting across from me nibbling on a ration bar, took notice. He had just sat down to join me after a couple hours had passed. Both of us unable to sleep.

"Everything alright, Kels?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"Oh," I replied, pulling myself from my thoughts, "Just thinking about the mission I guess."

"All you have to do is talk shop, Anakin will handle the rest." Obi-Wan replied with a reassuring smile.

They made it sound so easy. As if sparking up casual conversation with literal war criminals is nothing to bat an eyelash at. I was worried I would slip up, or my cover wouldn't be convincing. But all I had to do was just talk about what I know, fathiers...right?

Obi-Wan kept saying Anakin would handle the rest, but what did that entail? What if something happened? What would I do? What could I do?

"Will I get a weapon?" I blurted out. "I mean...just in case." Obi-Wan gave me an amused expression and then proceeded to ponder my question.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked, seeming to consider it. I hesitated, not entirely sure what I was envisioning. I guess I hadn't considered I'd be given an option. I decided to be bold in my request.

"There wouldn't happen to be an extra light saber around would there?" I asked cautiously. Obi-Wan chuckled in response and I felt my shoulder sag.

"Although I admire your tenacity, Kels. No, you will not be getting a light saber." He said gently.

"Worth a try..." I muttered and sank into the booth behind me.

"But," he continued, I felt my eyebrows raise in curiosity, "We can get you a blaster."

A slow smile spread across my face as I sat up straighter. "Really?"

"I don't see why not," he replied with a shrug. "Do you know how to use one?"

"Um, no" I said quietly. "But I am a fast learner" I added, not wanting my inexperience to leave me unarmed.

"Very well," he said with a nod before a small smirk ghosted his lips. "We'll have Anakin show you how to use it. You seem to be receptive to his teaching."

I nodded, trying to hide the fact that my heart skipped a beat at the mention of his former padawan. I needed to get it the fuck together.

Obi-Wan and I sat at the table for a little while longer, idly chatting about ship mechanics and interesting planets he had visited. I wanted to know everything. So, I soaked in every kernel of information he gave me. Until he declared his craving for a "midsleep snack" had been satiated and decided he was going to go back to bed.

"You should really try to get some sleep too, Kels." He said as he stood up and gracefully slid out of the booth.

"I will." I said, shooting him a warm smile. He returned the smile and then turned to head back to the sleeping quarters.

I sighed as I watched him disappear into the small hallway leading to the individual cabins. And after a few minutes, I got up and followed him. Even if I could just rest my eyes, it would be better than sitting out here by myself.

The ship was equipped with four separate sleeping chambers. Each one with a small cot, a tiny sink and mirror, and just enough room to fully stretch your arms from one wall to the other. I took a step towards the sliding door to my designated cabin before I heard something. My hand hovered over my door's button as I tried to make out the sound. It sounded like whimpering?

I remained still until I heard it again, my head snapped in the direction of the noise, and I realized it was coming from Anakin's cabin.

"No! Please!" I heard him call out in a louder, distressed voice.

I felt the immediate urge to rush to him at the sound of his distress. However, I stopped myself, remaining still in the hallway between my door and his. Anakin had told me about the nightmares he was plagued with. That must be what this is.

"Don't! I'll do anything!" I heard him say, his voice cracking.

I couldn't take hearing him like this, so against my better judgement I approached his door. With the quick press of a button, his door slid open to reveal him thrashing in his cot. I took a step into his cabin and was just a few short feet away from him. A slick layer of sweat coated his chest and forehead. And his features were twisted into an expression laced with pain.

Seeing him like this hurt. So, I decided to act fast.

I knew he wouldn't take well to me waking him and seeing him in this state. But I could still help without him necessarily realizing.

So, I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and conjured a sense of calm in my mind. I carefully molded the warm, tranquil sensation until I could practically picture it in my head. A soft, glowing orb of serenity. That's when I decided to lift my barrier and open my eyes. I focused in on the worn-out Jedi in front of me and pictured the calm seeping from my body towards him. I felt it travel down my limbs and tingle the tips of my fingers as it left my body. I didn't take my eyes off Anakin whose chest was heaving as he let out another groan.

After a few moments I was worried it wasn't working, Anakin was still thrashing around in his cot. However, I remained focused and continued picturing the warm flow of calm leaving my body towards his. And mercifully, his movement eventually began to still. I watched as his breathing steadied and the hard lines on his face began to soften.

I kept projecting calm until he was completely still, and his features reflected the sensation I was pouring into him. He looked like an angel with his eyes gently closed and his pillowy lips slightly parted, allowing soft breaths in and out. I realized I had never seen him look so relaxed. And he is so beautiful it physically hurt. It hurt because I wanted nothing more than to crawl into the cot next to him and kiss away the nightmare myself.

But that would never be. And I had already invaded his space enough for the night. So, I tore myself away from the sleeping Jedi in front of me, snapped my mental shield back together and turned towards the door. However, just as I was about to leave, I heard something that stopped me in my tracks.

"Kels." Anakin murmured softly behind me. I felt my heart lurch.

I turned back around to face him, immediately getting ready to apologize for the intrusion but I stopped myself when I realized he was still sound asleep. I let out a soft sigh of relief at the sight of his peaceful expression. With a small smile I decided I had lingered long enough so I quietly slipped out of his room and crossed the hallway to mine. And only minutes later, I was also fast sleep.

I woke up to a shadow cast over my face.

Squinting my eyes, I looked up and saw Anakin looming over me. I thought he had might had come in here to confront me about last night. How I let myself into his cabin without permission.

However, when my eyes adjusted to the light. I saw that he wore a playful smirk and the usual shadows accenting his eyes were muted. His curls were neatly brushed to the side, and he looked downright refreshed.

"Um, hi?" I said in a groggy voice, hoisting myself up to rest on my elbows behind me. I myself wasn't feeling so recharged, I must have only gotten a few hours of sleep.

"Obi-Wan says you want to learn how to use a blaster?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side, allowing a beam of light from the hallway to shoot directly into my eyes. I grimaced, causing Anakin to chuckle. I shot him a sour look.

"I mean I'd rather not be completely unarmed and defenseless." I explained. "And he nixed my light saber idea" I muttered in a lower, disappointed tone.

Similarly, to Obi-Wan, Anakin threw his head back and laughed at the notion of me wanting a light saber. "Woah, easy there, killer." He said in a sarcastic tone.

"Ugh, go away." I muttered, flopping back down onto my cot. I could definitely use a few more hours of sleep.

"Oh, you don't want me to do that, Kels. Not really." He said with a cocky wink. "Get up." He demanded. I gave him a pointed look, and when his smirk simply grew in response, I groaned and rolled my eyes.

"Fine." I sighed and slowly sat up in my cot. "Give me ten minutes and I'll be right out."

"Make it five." Anakin chirped and quickly spun on his heel to leave my cabin. I watched as the door slid shut behind him. With another groan I dragged myself out of bed. As quickly as I could, I brushed my teeth, washed my face and threw my hair up into a ponytail. After changing into a pair of dark brown cargo pants and a black long-sleeved shirt, I laced up my boots and made my way out into the communal area.

"Hi, Kels." I heard Ahsoka say as I entered the room. She tossed me an unopened ration bar. I caught it and gave her an appreciative smile. I then slide into the booth next to her.

"It's insane to me that you guys live on these things out here in space." I said after taking a bite of the bland bar.

"It provides all the nutrients we need." Obi-Wan said with a wink.

"Would it kill them to use a little flavoring?" I muttered, eyeing the bar in my hand.

"Well feel free to whip up something better, chef." I heard Anakin say sarcastically from across the room. I looked over at him to see him shooting me his signature smirk as he waved his hand over the completely barren kitchenette in the corner. He sure was in a chipper mood today. I rolled my eyes and took another bite of the bar.

I never thought I would miss the kitchen. But the variety of fruit and vegetables, the large collection of spices, and the always freshly baked bread sounded wonderful right about now. That's when I realized.

"Wait," I said, sitting up straight and setting down the bar in front of me. "I never told Glynn I would be absent for a while. She is going to kill me."

"Not to worry, Kels. Glynn has been informed." Obi-Wan said. My body sagged in relief. It was funny...I was preparing to go undercover for the Jedi council, yet the fear of missing a shift as a temple cook still remained.

"Oh good...thank you." I said softly, looking up at Obi-Wan who gave me a nod in return.

"Alright, now that that's out of the way..." Anakin began with an impatient clap of his hands, "Kels, come with me."

With a sigh I took one last bite of the ration bar and followed Anakin's command. I trailed him out of the common space into the large belly of the ship that stored miscellaneous supplies. There was a good amount of vacant space in the middle. I saw a row of empty water jugs lined up on top of a large crate.

"This is yours." Anakin said after leading me to the center of the area and turned to face me, he held a delicate blaster in his hand. It had a curved wooden handle and a gleaming silver body with thin barrel. As far as blasters go, it was very pretty. I could help but smile slowly. "It's an ELG-3A blaster. I found it in one of these crates" He explained.

He then took a few steps away and held his arm up so that the blaster was now pointed directly at one of the empty water jugs across the floor.

"It's relatively light and easy to use." He said, closing one eye to aim at the jug. When he pulled the trigger, I could only blink before I saw the water jug fly off the crate. A perfect shot. "For now, it's set to stun. We don't need to be shooting holes through this ship."

I was eager to get my hands on the weapon and try it for myself. So, I had to bite down on a grin when Anakin turned back to face me and held out the blaster to me. I took it in my own hand and appreciated how light and smooth it felt in my grip.

"Come here." Anakin said, beckoning me to approach. I nodded and moved to stand next to him.

"So...just point and shoot?" I asked, eyeing the row of remaining water jugs in front of me.

"Essentially." Anakin said with a chuckle, he shifted so he was now standing directly behind me. He reached his long arms around me and pointed to the back of the blaster in my hand. I had to swallow hard and force myself to focus as I felt his breath tickle the back of my neck. "This is the safety. Go ahead and press the lever up and the blaster will be active. Always remember to turn the safety back on after use."

I nodded and used my thumb to press up the small lever just above the handle of the blaster as Anakin instructed. There was a satisfying click which brought another smile to my face.

"Okay, now hold the handle with your right hand, finger resting on the trigger, and use your other hand as support. And then hold out your arms straight," he instructed in a low voice. I did as he asked and held the blaster up in front of me. He then reached forward around me again and adjusted my grip, his chin just barely grazing my cheek in doing so. I had to remind myself to breathe. With Anakin this close, I was consumed by his scent and felt the warmth of his body on my back. It was driving me insane. I double, and tripled check that my mental barriers were in place. When he was satisfied with my grip on the blaster, he then moved his hands just below my arms and raised them ever so slightly.

He then gently tapped the top of the barrel. "Use this to aim, line it up with your target."

Carefully, I dipped my head and looked out at my chosen water jug over the top of the barrel. Anakin then moved his hand to my face and placed a finger under my chin, gently tipping it upwards so that it was level with the target.

"Bring the blaster to your line of sight, not the other way around." He muttered. Knowing my voice would shake if I tried to speak, I just nodded subtly in response.

I could feel him assessing my position from just behind me and after a few seconds he leaned his head in even closer.

"Pull the trigger, Kels." He whispered, his lips grazing my ear ever so slightly.

I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm my nerves that were going haywire because of Anakin's proximity. And then, I pulled the trigger. I wasn't expecting the kickback, so I involuntarily fell backwards into Anakin who immediately gripped my waist to steady me.

"Not bad." He said with a chuckle over my shoulder. I smiled. My intended target didn't exactly fly off the crate like Anakin's had. However, I was delighted to see the water jug wobble meaning I had gotten close.

Then my attention immediately went to his fingers still pressed into my waist, holding me close. I swallowed hard and contemplating spinning around in his grip to face him. His hands lingered on me for a few more seconds before he dropped them and stepped away. Only then did I feel brave enough to face him.

"Thank you," I said to him. "For finding this, and for showing me how to use it." I said, gesturing to the blaster in my hand. Anakin studied my face for a few moments.

"Consider it repayment for last night." He said in a soft voice.

My eyes widened. I thought I had gotten away with my little force empathy stunt. I hoped he wasn't upset with my intrusion or taking advantage of our force channel.

"I'm sorry. I just-I just heard you having a nightmare and-" I began quickly in a panic before Anakin held up his hand to cut me off.

"It's okay, Kels. Really." He said with a soft smile, "I trust you to not cross a line...and plus, it was the best few hours of sleep I've had in a while."

Relief flooded through my system. I really had helped him.

"Good." I replied with a nod. I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

Anakin suddenly gave me a vulnerable look and he seemed to be choosing his next words carefully. "You know...if you happen to hear me having a nightmare again, I'd appreciate the help." I saw a muscle in his jaw flicker as he looked down at me. I felt like my heart could burst.

"Of course." I replied softly.

Anakin smiled gently and then reached up his hand to lightly brush my cheek with his knuckle. I found myself leaning into his touch ever so slightly, causing the corner of his smile to twitch upwards. "Thank you," he said.

We remained silent just looking at each other before Anakin quickly cleared his throat and straightened back his shoulders.

"Keep practicing." He commanded, pointing at the water jugs. "Stars help us now that you're armed." he muttered before turning to walk out the room.