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WARNING: Angst; mentions of heavy torture, bruises, physical violence. Fluff; like so much fluff. Like fluff alert, omg.

A/N: Thank you for your patience! Case you didn't read my post yesterday, I had a family loss this past week and I needed to gather my feelings for a bit. Thank you so much for everyone who wrote to me and sent love my way. I highly appreciated it and I will prioritize getting to you guys! I just wanted to post this first <3 but thank you for being so sweet!

This chapter is heavily inspired by that CW episode where Anakin is captured by Dooku. I have some heavy opinions about that chapter (that's the day I lost all love for Anidala), so getting to recreate it my way was hella fun!! Thanks to @maddieskywalker for suggesting it a while ago!

This one is dedicated to @hierophantzhoe !!! Hope you enjoy it sweetheart!

Important debate at the end of the chapter, pls participate if you can!

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Present time, a week after Anakin's capture

Phoenix's POV

With a loud sound, I interrupted Qui-Gon's office.

—Phoe-

—I'm going. Whether you like it or not. —I growled, holding my lightsabers on my side.

—Phoenix. We've discussed this. —Qui-Gon stood up from his desk, infuriated.

"We've discussed this."

Hell, do I know we've discussed this. The problem was that I didn't agree.

It had been one week since Anakin was captured: the most gut-wrenching week of my whole existence. Every day I would come here and petition Qui-Gon to let me be part of a rescue team and travel to Yavin 4, with the expectation that I would have the chance to go to him myself.

The first days I would come in and politely ask him, standing still and lowering my head in shame whenever he would say no. Taking my rightful place behind him, I would be situated quietly on the back while Obi-Wan called to fill us in. Qui-Gon refused to send any more resources to an already expensive mission. But above all, he refused to spoil them in their own screw-up.

In his words: "They messed up. They fix it."

So I would have to settle to stand back, biting my tongue and holding my tears, as Obi-Wan's desperate hologram would beg for mercy. His eyes demonstrated his lack of rest; so red and swollen, his beard neglected and messy. He would answer out of breath, reporting the casualties in the middle of an aerial attack or in the five minutes he had between  explorations. The poor man was worn-out beyond belief.

I tried to intervene on his behalf every chance I had. And soon it became a daily routine for me to put myself out there, risking turning Qui-Gon's anger towards me:

A couple of days ago...

"Qui-Gon, it's impossible for them to cross that barricade all on their own. I can go-" I timidly rushed in to say, catching Obi-Wan's miserable gaze.

"No." Qui-Gon put his hand up, but I could only see the back of it. His office suddenly felt cold, distant. Feelings I hadn't felt in here since years ago.

"Master, could you please reconsider it? There's no way we can get through. Their pilots are better than ours- We are running out of clones and Windu-" Obi-Wan's hologram would go off and on because of the weak connection.

Qui-Gon, strangely, remained stoic, giving the impression that he didn't care how precarious the conditions the guys were in.

"Exactly. Windu is there. And not only he is in the same fucking planet as you, but he has kidnapped Anakin. Not only have you failed to bring him to me, you have humiliated yourselves in the process and have surrendered a vital part of the team."

"Qui-Gon, it has been almost a week, who knows how he is doing?!" Obi-Wan lost control on that last bit, only maddening our master more.

"And who's fault is that?" Qui-Gon beat his fists on the desk, his nostril flaring. "I've seen him come out of worse! Now stop wasting your time calling me and get the job done!"

After they hung up, he turned around to me.

"This should have been a standard procedure. I don't know how they managed to fuck it up big time." He shook his head, walking to the door.

" I don't know if this is like other times." I pulled every bit of strength in my body so that my voice wouldn't come out in a string. "Aren't you worried about Anakin?"

Because I was. Profoundly.

Whenever I had even a second of alone time, I would close my eyes and try to reach out to him through our Force bond. Hugging myself, my efforts would often tire me, however, the results were meaningless.

Nothing.

No answer at all.

And today... well, today I hit my limit. As I sat on my balcony back home, I concentrated on calling him in. That place was so intimate to us, the crib of our breezy mornings, that I thought it would maybe boost the chances of my message getting to him. I would whisper the cheesy nickname he adored so much, praying that it would make the connection establish more easily. Maybe he would hear me better. Maybe it would incentivize him to answer me, just in case this was a sick twisted joke. Maker, was I on my knees for it to be a joke.

Yet that didn't happen. What happened was that I was able to hear his frightening screams from across the galaxy inside my head; it felt like I was being shot on the chest over and over again as his yelling intensified.

He was being tortured.

As much as it pained me to see him taken as hostage, I had to figure out exactly what was going on with him. So, even with sweat on my forehead and palms, I closed my eyes again and searched for a clear image, something that would hopefully prove the previous attempt wrong.

I couldn't hold back the tears any longer when the vision of Anakin being held captive  by his hands in a levitating, electrifying cage. People around him took turns to hit him raw or burn his skin (among pinching his muscles with claws or blocking his airways) as a ritual to show off. Anakin wouldn't give them the satisfaction of reacting, only when the watts would reach unthinkable levels. But I could feel his agony; it was killing him by the second.

I specifically saw a man laughing with malice in front of Anakin; his right hand holding a control that administered the electrical shots Anakin's body would receive and his left eye tainted with a scar. Apparently it was all connected to a collar around Anakin's  throat.

Like being pulled from a spiral, I came back to reality, the hard tiles catching my fall. The return to real life was intense, resembling being kicked in between timelines. At first, I couldn't quite catch my breath, the anxiety of seeing him in such a state still running through my veins.  My eyes itched from the water falling from them and my hands wouldn't stay still as they trembled; the opposite of the rest of my body which was glued to the floor.

The power of my emotions truly scared me when things started to shake around me. And it terrified me because it made me do the one thing I never thought I would do: Go against Qui-Gon.

Which leads me to today.

—I'm taking the Governor with me and the 399th. —I announced firmly, no signs of weakness were left behind: only rage and insolence were shining.

—And I've said no. —Qui-Gon crossed his arms and looked down on me.

—And I'm not listening to you anymore on this matter. —I chewed the words slowly. —You have been cruel to your own. More cruel than I thought possible from you. —I pointed at him with my facial muscles shaking from the anger. Qui-Gon's eyes widened and his mouth opened up to reply. —But you have not only been cruel, but negligent.

That was a low blow to him.

—You're putting in danger the biggest rebel station, along with our biggest target, for your own pettiness? —Even though it was the truth, I took the opportunity to mask down my worries towards Anakin and direct it to the mission's stability for Qui-Gon's ears only. —They need me. I'm going. End of story. —I spat coldly.

—Phoenix, don't! —He shouted to me, his eyes yellow for my rebellion.

—I'm going. —I defied him slowly, raising my right eyebrow, before turning around to walk out the door with my sabers in hand.

Maybe he didn't want to elevate the argument. Maybe he agreed with me.

But Qui-Gon didn't follow me. Nor did he give the order to stop me or prohibit me from using the Empire's tech.

He let me go. And I knew I would pay for it later.

Though right now it didn't matter. Anakin's safety was the only thing my brain could process; revenge in the most barbarous way possible the only thing my heart desired.

Taking out my commlink, I made a very special phone call.

—Hey, you still doing that bounty hunter gig?

I'm coming for you, baby.

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Obi-Wan's POV

"General Kenobi, do you copy? General Kenobi." The commlink blinked with Commander Cody's voice.

—Here General Kenobi! —I screamed to the device attached to my ear while I fought with a rebel commander. —Talk to me, Cody!

We were surrounded, the rapid fire taking us down so quickly that I could barely see through the blurriness to appreciate what men were falling behind. My head was spinning in haziness as I tried to dance around the gunshots, my lungs messing up their task of getting oxygen on my brain. Not to mention the pulverizing pain on my muscles, burning every time I put the saber up.

"General, a new transport is landing on our platform in minus 1 minute."

—Cody, I cannot handle another one! —I shouted exasperatedly. We were advancing to the quarters where Anakin was being kept away, but notoriously, it was the most secured installation in the whole planet. Dozens of rebel lines protecting the main entrance and dozens more X-wings flying above us, bombing our defense lines and taking down our TIE-fighters. —We're almost through the headquarters! Handle the transport yourselves!

A bomb near me exploded, sending me and three other troopers to the other side of the bridge; the rebel fuckers had constructed their main base on water (for plot purposes, Yavin 4 is a combination of the original Yavin 4 and Kamino for the bridges and stuff). The pyramid was surrounded by numerous bridges, but most of them had already been destroyed by the constant chase of the ships.

"General Kenobi, it's not an enemy transport." Cody explained, his smile could be heard from my side of the commlink. "It's an Imperial one."

Suddenly, a massive engine sound burst through our ears and a giant shadow casted over the battlefield. Looking up, I recognized one of the Empire's cruiser: The Governor.

—What...? —I murmured confusedly, putting my hand on top of my face to protect from the sun rays.

Qui-Gon said he wasn't coming. Why was his cruiser here?

A bunch of transports were dropped from the bottom doors, quickly flying to different points on the map. But one was coming particularly fast to my direction, to the main bridge. I frowned, reconsidering if maybe this was a trap and Coruscant had been compromised.

The transport approached me in no time, the doors opening with the familiar cold smoke coming out of them. The red light blinked a couple of times before it turned white, making it impossible for me to recognize the person inside. Before I could order Cody to engage the transport, my commlink beeped again, but the voice was not from the trooper commander. It was a voice that swelled my heart with joy.

With her hair flowing in the wind, eyes sharp as a knife and proud posture, her devilish smirk let me know that hell was about to rain.

"Need help, old man?"

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Phoenix's POV

—I've never been happier to see you. —Obi-Wan exhaled rapidly as I walked to him.

—Always cleaning up after your messes. —I shook my head. When I was close enough for him to hear me without shouting, I asked him with concerned eyes:  —Where is he?

Obi-Wan's face fell immediately, sorrow washing over his irises like a storm.

—I'm so sorry. —He trembled with regret. —I know I promised-

—Obi-Wan, I don't mean to be rude. —I exclaimed, moving us a couple of steps as TIE-fighters crashed behind us. The smell of the smoke was already making my eyes leak. —But there's no time for this. Where is he?! —My voice came out stronger and more desperate than I intended.

—He is on that tower over there! —He screamed when a X-wing flew past us. The pyramid was not that far away, yet the defense around it was heavily weaponized.— He is on the top, being guarded by Windu himself.

—I thought rebels were the good guys! —I grunted, enraged. —What are they doing torturing him?

—They know it's the only way to keep Anakin weak and in their control. —Obi-Wan, as emaciated as he looked, was giving his best to look alive.

—Or to anger him more. —I added, perfectly knowing the man whose arms were my safespace. — The girls are already cleaning up the perimeter from rebel skunk. You're too tired to keep going, so I'll be taking it up from here.

—I think it's better for me to go and get him myself. —Obi-Wan nodded confidently, but the slight shaking on his shoulder betrayed him.

—No, Obi-Wan, you're going back to the mothership. You can't keep going, leave it to me. —I rubbed his shoulders in a calming manner. As calming as being in the middle of a crossfire allowed us. —The girls and I have it under control, I have a plan.

—Are you going in there? —He asked me, tilting his head to the pyramid. He knew the possible consequences of me personally rescuing Anakin... My feelings could overpower me and screw things up.

—Just trust that I have a plan, okay? You stay up there and keep attacking the base, I'll let you know when I have Anakin with me, so we can blow this shit up.

—Okay. —He sighed, unsure of leaving his position, but after his knee flaked him, he finally surrendered. —Thank you for coming, darling. —He squeezed my arms, his head bowing for a second as a sign of gratitude.

—Anything for you. —I held the tears in my eyes, giving him one last squeeze. —And don't shut down a Ginivex-class starfighter. It's authorized by me.

—I... I better don't ask. —He finally huffed out, retrieving to the transport that brought me here.

I ignited my sabers, the red blades shooting immediately and I looked around me, noticing how I was already the target to various shooters.

—You are surrounded! Stand down! —They yelled at me from behind their white helmets.

—All I am surrounded by is fear. — I grinned at them wickedly, seeing how his legs would shake as they recognized me. —And dead men.

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"All done from our side, boss. We're coming to your location." Taaray announced herself via commlink.

—Noted. —I answered her, too busy throwing a line of rebels over the gallery to the water with a Force-push.

"Any signs from our special friend?"

—Yes. —I sighed, using the Force to tear down two loaded canons that were massacring our TIE-fighters. On the battlefield, I tend to lose track of time, but it had been probably more than an hour. The tower was humongous from the inside, not to mention the complicated trails inside of it, leading to multiple paths. So I was using the Force to track Anakin down to the spot where he was being held against his will. — They'll be here any minute.

"Got it. We're on standby for Code Scarlet."

My little squadron and I followed  a trail of tiny steps to a gigantic, round metal door that was unusually isolated. The line of rebels "guarding it" were immediately taken down by Kytra's expert eye and machine gun, freeing the entrance for us to break through. My chest started to pump harder, goosebumps broke out on my spine and my fingers started to tingle.

Not wasting another second, I used the dual blades to furiously melt down the door. Rushed noises and worried voices were heard from the other side, feeding my thirst for blood. Once I had the circle completed, with all the strength I had inside me, I force-pushed the door to stop blocking us, our panorama changing from a rusty plate to fifteen or so rebels pointing at us. The first thing I did was obviously to search the perimeter to find the man that had my heart on edge. But as time passed, the tingling on my finger dissipated, like he was getting away. He was not there.

What caught my attention was a cloak disappearing through a secret back door, a purple glow guiding me to the person responsible for my insanity the past few days. But just as I was about to run behind Windu, the Force pointed me to go in the opposite direction, the other side of the tunnel the Jedi had run off to. Whenever I faced that direction, my fingers tingled.

Anakin.

But I needed to follow Windu. I promised myself that I would make him pay. That I would be the one to put him on his knees and finish this whole thing off. For the Empire. For Anakin.

—Go, Phoenix! Go! We have him! —Kytra yelled at me, pushing me to Windu's direction after they had controlled the opposition. —Taaray is coming and we'll take Anakin to the transport. But we cannot take Windu down, only you can.

That was enough to initiate the fire in me again, my legs working twice as hard to catch up to the moving figure. Nonetheless, he picked my Force-signature up and changed his strategy by running away on the outside of the pyramid, straight to the main landing platform, through the bridge.

Mace Windu, you fucking coward. He did exactly what I expected him to do, escape.

—If you think you are leaving, think again. —I stopped in the middle of the platform where his ship was.

—So we finally meet. —He gave me a crooked smile, slowing down to admire me. —Qui-Gon's shadow, isn't it? The one who does all the dirty work for him when his two dogs don't deliver. —He laughed, walking to me with the violet blade still on.

—Exactly. —I smiled widely, making sure my Sith eyes intimidated him. —And that's why I'm the one who is going to kill you.

—I didn't recognize you from the sabers... or the suit, you know? —He tilted his head, eyes wicked with craziness. This man didn't look sane, at all. —I know who you are because he told me everything I need to know about you.

I furrowed my brows, not really distinguishing who the he might be. I was surrounded by men every day, the closest people to me were all men.

—Don't play dumb with me. —He growled, squinting his eyes. —I know all about you two.

Cold sweat was starting to form on my back, beads threatening to fall from my neck at the expectative of what he would do with that information.

—I severely doubt Anakin said anything related to us. —I winced, exhaling exhaustedly. I was trying to sell my part, but knowing that this man was force-sensitive, who knew if he couldn't see past my shields? —Case you didn't notice... we're not really friends.

—Oh, I know you are not really friends. —He cackled like a mad man. — And he didn't have to tell me. While I was torturing him... —He smirked with darkened eyes, vibrating the words with malice. —... getting inside of that small brain of his... trying to relearn Skywalker's weaknesses....  the only thing playing on repeat was thousands and thousands of images of you. —He huffed in mockery, saying that last bit with pretend sweetness, only to grimace at the end. —He would turn to you in his darkest moments. Isn't that sweet?

The thought of seeing that man do despicable things to him set my whole body on fire, an involuntary tremble taking over me as I fought not to break down to cry in that same moment. Picturing Anakin holding on to dear life was like dropping a bomb on my chest... and the thought of him using me as an anchor to keep fighting detonated it.

—I wonder if your dear master knows about your teen romance... knowing Qui-Gon, he won't like it, I'm sure. —In the blink of an eye, he was standing inches away from me, the hair on my face preventing me from looking at him completely. Thanks to the Force. He tried to bump my chin, but retracted after seeing my yellow light intensifying. Inevitably, he rolled his eyes. —You look way cuter when you smile. That's all he thought about and it was driving me insane.

—You are bluffing so I don't kill you right on the spot. —I said through gritted teeth, gripping the handles with extreme strength.

—Whatever you say... baby. —He sucked his teeth when he finished saying the nickname.

And that was the last straw to my patience.

With an animalistic force, I charged up against him, immediately engaging in an exhausting combat. He was no true match to my double blades, but with the wind and the splashing water in his favor, I was losing grip on my feet.

The Sith's longest traditions would always advise that hate and anger makes one stronger and more powerful. Nonetheless, today was totally blinding me. Swing after swing, we would go closer to the edge; gravity threatening to make us both fall. I blocked his advance with a blade cross and held in there as he added more pressure. My left thigh started to shake due to the effort, making me realize that I needed to make a move or he would beat me to it.

—Can you imagine the headlines when I deliver your head to Qui-Gon? "Rebellion is taken down for good after leader is brought to justice!". —I chortled mischievously.                                                                     

—You are such fools. —He menaced me through the light of the sabers. — First Ki, then me. You don't know what's coming for you.

—Last time I checked, Ki's body was stone cold. And headless. —I grinned at his enlarged nostrils. —Can't wait to see how yours gonna be.

—Can't be worse than how Skywalker is right now. — I yelled at his reply, pushing him and kicking him in the face.

Trying to break his knees, I twirled around on the ground and kicked him in his lower body. It successfully made him fall, but right when I was about to impale him, he force-pushed me to the other side of the port, my body almost leaning to the cliff. He took advantage of that and ran to his ship.

I pushed through the gust of wind that his ship was ejecting, even when it was so powerful to make me slide in the slippery ground.

"You don't know what's coming for you."

"You don't know what's coming for you."

"You don't know what's coming for you."

That was on repeat in my head, over and over. This had to end. With him.

—I know how you operate; it has Qui-Gon's footprints all over.  I can sense all of your Force-signatures from miles. You all stink by the way. —Windu winced, interrupting my train of thought. — I have knowledge of where you are, every fucking day. There's no way you can catch me.

Before he could try and take off, I used to Force to pull his ship down, locking it to the ground. As I succeeded, Windu's expression filled with panic. Genuine panic. I started to pull back in order to bring him closer, when he put his hand up too in my direction. However, I noticed he wasn't trying to grab me with the Force. He was facing the tower.

—Either you let me go or I drop this motherfucker directly to hell. —He growled, his hand shaking because of the effort. I looked back to see how the building wasn't completely evacuated yet, my heart shrinking at the realization. —And they haven't come out yet. So little Skywalker dies squash on his girlfriend's mission.

Huffing, I pulled back and let him go with frustration in my face; It was not a complicated decision at all.

As I saw the ship breaking through the skyline, I bit my lip nervously, praying to the Force that I hadn't made the biggest mistake of my life. My eyes were distracted by a big red ship levitating from the inside of the woods and following the enemy ship closely behind.

My commlink beeped, connecting me with a foreign channel.

"Done dancing, Phoenix?"

"Don't you dare nag at me. I wore him down for you. Now do your job and get him to me. Alive." I stared at the ship, knowing the eat-shitting grin that was at the other side of the commlink.

"With that attitude? Can't make any promises."

"You better be worth what you're charging me. The Force knows you aren't cheap."

"You know I made you a deal. For old time's sake."

"Hope Uncle Dooku trained you to catch a Jedi." I huffed.

"It was all he did." The voice imitated my sound, but more breathlessly, almost like a sigh.

"Well, prove to me that you learned anything."

"Someone's getting too bossy now that she is an Imp. Knew I had to take you with me when Qui-Gon offered you the position by his side.... You can still come, I'll train you better than that hippie." That made me laugh.

"And live on the lower levels of Coruscant, struggling to make ends meet? Hard pass." I chuckled. "As long as you bring me Windu back, that'll be more than enough."

"Suit yourself. But never forget who started you on the double sabers." Will they ever make me forget?

"Yeah, yeah, that was about everything you could teach me." I joked, the person on the other side of the commlink blowing me off.. "Hey... Thank you."

"My pleasure, dollface. See you in a bit." And the cruiser accelerated into a hyper jump.

I stared at it, overthinking if I should have called them. Recalling how I ended up here, I shouldn't apologize for reaching out to someone else. The circumstances basically led me to take action by myself. Still, it didn't sit with me right that someone else was taking care of finishing up my mission. But hey... that was as much back-up I could get. It was that or we wouldn't have any eyes on Windu at all.

Qui-Gon didn't like external parties from our group, but knowing the Rebel Alliance, they already had us track down to our every move. Maybe a change of pattern would help us out to cover more ground. So, from that perspective... It was probably a master move.

In the middle of convincing myself of my own decisions, a bunch of goosebumps erupted from my neck and my fingers started to tingle.

And everything was right in the world again.

Snapping my head, I was able to see a weak figure coming from the horizon. He was slouched, struggling to keep a firm pace and his hand was trying to hold his abdomen, which I deduced was heavily bruised. Even in his misery, he was not ready to slow down. Would he be the man I care for, if he wasn't fighting through the pain?

However, what impressed me the most was the way the view of him punched the air out of my lungs; how my heart basically jumped to my throat the moment my eyes laid on his fragile form.

—Ani? —I called out, powering off the blades, my feet trying to catch up to him.

Anakin looked up from the floor, hissing when he abruptly changed his position to follow my voice.  His eyes shined the second we made eye contact, the instact effect of that was my heart pounding out of control inside my ribcage.

—Sweetheart? —He asked me, incredulous. His steps got quicker, against all sense of self-preservation, his face squinting in pain at the efforts his body was making to keep up.

—Ani! —I called out louder, running to him to take the weight of distance off of us.

I didn't calculate the force of my embrace, but the enthusiasm of having him face to face was too much for me to handle. After all those nights, going to sleep with the horrendous nightmares about his possible death... to see his breathing body was like finally waking up.

The moment we were close enough, I jumped to hug him on my tippy toes to reach his height.

The only thing I wanted to do was hold him, hold him so tight that no one would be able to take him away from me. So tight until we merge into one and we could live forever happy in the protection of our bubble. So tight that he knew how much I'd dreaded his absence, how much I had dreamed of this moment, ...and how much I wanted us to stay like this for as long as possible.

So I kissed him like it was the last time we would kiss. Because last time I took for granted the privilege to feel his sugary lips and that was not a mistake I was voluntarily going to do again. I held him in what I was hoping to be an infinite kiss: a moment in time that would go on for eternity, where no more distance was allowed. And even if it was not eternal, we could always live in this feeling. In a moment where no secrecy or pretending was allowed; a moment where our souls met in the broad daylight.

And the ever roaring beast that Anakin was, loosened up inside my arms, letting go of the air inside him and breathing again on the crook of my neck. His muscled limbs wrapped around with the same passion, pressing against me with the same fear and gratitude... with his usual passionate devotion.

Even though our surroundings were as far from calm: bombs still being dropped, screams from a long distance, smoke coming from around us, the waves hitting against the bridge's construction, the savage wind trying to break us apart... I could easily affirm that my heart was at immense peace. The only noise I heard was his pulse hitting against my shaking chest and the only thing I could see was his hair shining in the sunset light.

—Ani. —I cried, cupping his face in my hands and bringing our foreheads together so I could check his face. The very same face that kept me up all night and day dreaming. The face I thought I would never see again. —Are you okay? Can you walk? Can you breathe? How bad are the wounds? —My anxiety was threatening to pop our lovely bubble, but after taking a look at his beat up and bruised face, skipping the questions was not an option.

—Sweetheart, I'm fine. I swear I'm fine.—He reassured me, gently shushing me to calm down my desperate crying. He held my face as well, as a way to make me focus on his eyes, which it did, in fact, made my inhales slow down until I was able to speak correctly again. —... I'm fine now.

—You are fine. —I repeated in trance, not actually processing the words. — You are fine. —I spoke with more authority this time, starting to understand them. — You are fine. Maker, you are fine! —I sobbed as I clung to his arms, my words finally landing me to reality. It was impossible to not splash some tears when I thanked every living deity for bringing him back safe and sound.

—I didn't believe Obi-Wan when he said you came. I-I thought I was delusional. —He shook his head with a smile. —You really came.

—I'm sorry it took me so long. —I lamented, nuzzling our noses. —I-I wanted to come sooner, I swear- I couldn't bear the thought of you here... —I brushed his hair back so his blue orbs wouldn't be hidden from me.

—You came here just in time. —He tried to comfort me, except that the movement of his arm reminded him of his injuries and me of my failure.

—Ani... I-I thought I l-lost you. —The waterfalls came again, my voice breaking into a string. —That I came here too late. And t-that... that you... I don't even want to say it. —I howled, my vision clear after I shed some tears. —What if I never saw you again?

—But I'm not. I'm here. —He grabbed my hand and held it between our bodies, close to his chest. —I was scared to never see you again either... to never speak the words that consume me or to fail in my promise I once made to you.

—Your heart is beating so fast. Is it okay? —My concern was palpable through my voice.

—It's beating for you. Surviving only by the thought of you. —He leaned down to kiss me again, so lovingly, so soft in his caressing touch. We pulled away due to the oxygen missing in our lungs. Shaking his head, he stated:—Sweetheart, I cannot hold it any longer. I can't.

I frowned, expecting for him to keep talking.

—If this week taught me anything... is that I don't want to spend another second without telling you how I feel for you. — He breathed out. Like an act of magic, he managed to slow down the world. The heavenly atmosphere combined perfectly with the angelic color of his eyes, but the harshness of his factions: the scar, the broken lip, the bruised cheek... was a direct contrast of the peachy and warm horizon: a perfect analogy to the hurricane of emotions inside me.  —Sweetheart, I lov-

—Could you-

—Don't. —He stopped me, his irises begging for mercy. —Please don't stop me again from saying it. I cannot live for another second with this burden, with this fire inside of my heart. My feelings for you... consume me.  You are in my very soul, tormenting me. —He sped up so fast, his hands grasping my waist in despair. — The thought of not being with you- I can't breathe.

—Would you let me finish? —I chuckled with tears in my eyes, something to which he furrowed his eyebrows. — Could you please say it with my real name?

—Your real...? —His eyebrows dropped lower, his jaw clenching. —Your real name? —He exhaled, not fully understanding.

—I want to hear them for the first time coming directly... to me. Guess you need to know who you are saying it to. —I smiled sheepishly, intertwining our hands together.

—Phoe-

—Y/n.

Anakin smiled, the sun not the brightest light in the world anymore.

—I love you. I love you so much, Y/n.

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NAME REVEAL. That's it, that's the tweet.

Also Phoenix saving Anakin? Loved it more than I should. #InLoveWithMyOwnCharacter

Amongst the people that participate in the next questions, I will be gifting a special appearance on the book or you may request a special scene, prompt, etc... (for that last one, I will have to be convinced on the idea, but I'm sure we can make it work!)

Debate: Would you like for Anakin to use Y/n or do we stick with Phoenix? For a lot of people (including myself lol), Phoenix is already an OC. But the only thing stopping me from completely changing it is that I love the Darth Phoenix title, but I feel like it would so lame for her real name and title to be the same. Please share your thoughts ----------->

Any guesses on the mysterious alliance? *cheeky face* -------------->

I think this chapter was a lot, so I will leave you to it, give you time to let that sink in...

And as always, have a great week and I hope you all have a friend like Obi <3