Hey guys, so I know this story is a little different, Ahsoka is a little out of character in this one. The reason is I wrote this story because writing helps me calm my anxiety, and I wanted to write a story with Ahsoka going through the same thing. This is partly me calming down as much as Ahsoka. In either case, I hope you enjoy.

"Alright…very funny Master, you can come out now." Ahsoka called into the darkness of the training room. Anakin had told her to meet him here after class, she was positive. And yet, there was no one to be seen.

Ahsoka started to feel really uneasy, her mind running through a number of scenarios, each one more unlikely than the last. She fought, called on all her training to squash the panic that was slowly rising within her, but it wasn't working. Unable to control her anxiety, her breaths became shorter and shorter, when suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

"AHHHH!" Ahsoka screamed, jumping up and whirling around to face her would-be attacker. Anakin Skywalker reached out and caught both her arms in his grip. "Snips, hey, calm down, it's just me." He said, trying to soothe his startled apprentice.

Realizing that her 'would-be attacker' was not actually an attacker, Ahsoka blushed and attempted to play it off. "C'mon Skyguy, you didn't really scare me. I knew it was you the whole time." She joked, playfully punching him in the arm.

Anakin's eyes narrowed, completely aware of her game. In her panic, her shields had come down, so he could see everything through their bond. "Uh huh." He replied, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Let's take a walk Snips."

They walked through the Temple halls in silence, neither one willing to break it. Silence was unusual for both of them, given the amount of time they spent in the field. This, temporary leave at the Temple, was a thing of pure bliss, and Anakin was going to help his padawan take full advantage of it.

As they walked, Anakin found it hard not to speak up. Ahsoka had still not repaired her shields, and was unknowingly projecting her emotions across the bond. She didn't know where he was taking her, and her possible explanations were becoming wilder by the minute. Patience. He thought. We're going to get it worked out.

Over the past few weeks, he'd noticed his young charge grow more tense with each passing day. Her anxiety was increasing to the point where she was losing focus during assignments, and that had nearly gotten her killed. Try as she might to hide it, she barley slept anymore and was constantly on edge.

Anakin wasn't sure what was going on, but he was determined to help her with it, whatever it was. With that thought in mind, he led her outside into one of the Temple gardens.

It was an absolutely beautiful day. The afternoon sun was bright and warm, and the plants were lush and green. Anakin took Ahsoka to one of his favorite hiding places when he was an apprentice; a small alcove in the brush, right next to a softly bubbling fountain. The scene was downright peaceful, but peace was the farthest thing from Ahsoka's mind.

Her thoughts rolled inside her head, insecurities and self-doubts piling onto other stress and confusion, creating a perfect storm of inner turmoil that raged inside her head. So perfect was this storm that she didn't even hear Anakin talking to her until he became impatient.

"Padawan!" he snapped, jolting her back to reality. "Sorry Master," she mumbled, sitting and pulling her knees up to her chest, refusing to meet his gaze.

Anakin sighed and sat down across from her, watching her squirm and feeling her shame through her projections. "Snips." He said quietly.

"Yes Master?" she replied instantly, without looking up. Anakin leaned forward and tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. He smiled. "Much better. So, Snips, I bet you're wondering what we're doing here."

Ahsoka nodded, in lieu of her typical snarky retort. "Well, I thought you and I could benefit from a little meditation, and the gardens are always a great place to connect with the Force, and I thought you might want to get out of our quarters for a change."

Ahsoka nodded again. "Thanks." Anakin took a deep breath and held out his hands, palms up. Ahsoka only hesitated for a moment before settling into a meditative pose and placing her hands into his.

"We're going a little further down today than normal, so you're going to have to trust me, okay?"

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. "Of course I trust you, Master." Anakin smiled. "Well, that's good to hear. You ready?" She nodded and together they dropped down into the Force.

/Master?/

/What is it, young one?/

/We're down really deep./

/I know. Don't worry, I've got you./ Anakin sent peace through the bond and felt Ahsoka calm some, but not nearly enough.

/Okay, are you ready?/

/Ready for what?

/I want you to focus on a stressor. Just one, and we'll work on releasing it./

/Okay./ She replied, and Anakin could feel her settling on a stressor.

/I've always wanted to impress you and prove myself./

Anakin understood. That was something she had struggled with since day one.

/Good. Now-/ Then, all of a sudden she thought of other.

/I always feel guilty about fighting with the clones. They're people too./

/Wait, Snips, I only said one./

/I can't stop making mistakes during missions./

/Ahsoka, stop what are you doing?/ On and on the insecurities piled up; Anakin could feel her tangled, distraught emotions, but she would not answer him.

/Ahsoka, please, let me in, let me help you!/

/I'm such a failure. I'm never going to be a Jedi./

/AHSOKA!/

With a mighty yank, Anakin pulled both of them up and out of meditation. Ahsoka was squeezing his hands so tightly he thought they might break, and she was hyperventilating, her eyes shut tight.

"Hey, Ahsoka, it's okay. You're with me, focus on me, you're safe!" Ahsoka's eyes flew open to meet his, the baby blues filled with fear, and she collapsed against him.

Anakin breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around her, sending love through the bond, feeling her shields start to reform. "It's okay little one, it's okay. I've got you, you're safe."

Ahsoka gasped, still partially stuck in her nightmare. "Easy, just take it easy Snips. In and out. Good girl." He praised as her breathing evened out.

They sat there together for a few minutes, blocking out the world, speaking only through their bond. Anakin flooded the connection with soothing emotions, trying to combat the wave of negativity and anger she was directing towards herself. Her eyes were dry, but Anakin sensed that was a good thing.

He had not wanted her to breakdown, he only wanted to discover what was causing her extreme anxiety. The problem was not the stressors themselves, but her lack of focus. Instead of allowing herself to handle them one at a time, she overwhelmed herself with stress and disappointment and pain until she could no longer function.

It wouldn't be easy, but Anakin knew that if he could get her to relax and focus, she would be able to purge herself of some of her hurt, not all, but hopefully enough to restore her peace of mind.

If that meant tears, so be it. Anakin did not fear or condemn tears, unlike some Jedi. Emotional stability was necessary, but so was much needed healthy release. Ahsoka, much like himself, had a bad habit of shutting down and ignoring her emotions, which, as he knew personally, could be very dangerous.

As gently as he could, Anakin nudged the bond and helped her sit up. The instant he did, her lekku stripes darkened as she blushed, and he shook his head at her embarrassment. "You should never be ashamed for weakness, Padawan. How can you become strong if you were not weak to begin with?"

She shrugged, staring at the ground. Anakin sighed. Much as he hated it, he was going to have to push her to get her to respond.

"Besides, I expected your response. I chose that exercise on purpose."

Betrayal, white hot and angry flashed across the bond. Excellent. Now I have her attention.

Without any prompting, Ahsoka's eyes snapped up to meet him, the innocent blues tainted with frustration and confusion. "Then why would you do something like that if you knew what would happen? If you knew it would hurt me?"

"Because, Snips, it doesn't take a Jedi to see that you're hurting. I knew it was only a matter of time before it got out of hand, but I couldn't figure out what was causing your problems. By forcing you to have an anxiety attack, I now know how to help you." He replied firmly, and Ahsoka looked a little taken aback at this admission.

She opened her mouth to deliver a sarcastic reply, but instead, all she could say was: "So…what's wrong with me?"

Anakin took a deep breath before reaching forward and resting his hands on her shoulders.

"Ahsoka," he said firmly, so she would be sure to listen. "There is nothing wrong with you."

"But you said-"

"Listen! Snips, there is nothing wrong with being stressed. There is nothing wrong with having anxiety, or even anxiety attacks. Your brain is just overwhelming you with stress, to the point where you can't control it anymore. But there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with you, do you understand?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes Master. I understand." Anakin hated seeing her like this, so sad and lost, that he couldn't help pulling her into a hug. She returned the embrace after a moment, her tiny arms encircling his neck. Anakin stroked her lekku and whispered, "It'll be okay Snips. Don't worry. We can work it out, you'll see, you'll be fine."

Determination surged across the bond as she pulled back, looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Where do we start?"