Reality Changer

Chapter 15 - Family

Author's Note: Enjoy the ending! Thank you all so much for reading, voting, and/or commenting on this story! We all really appreciated your support! ^-^

~ Amina Gila

"Does it bother anyone else that we technically stole this thing?" Ahsoka asks cheerfully, in a tone that clearly implies she really doesn't.

"Not me. He's a slaver anyway," Kitster states.

Ana stands watching as the two of them and Anakin look over the pieces of the protocol droid that had existed in Anakin's timeline. They decided to reassemble it after going to collect the pieces from the same junk yard.

"I'm almost surprised that this was still here so many years later," Anakin remarks.

"I guess it was too worthless to be of value to anyone else," Ahsoka replies.

The three of them get back to work on trying to assemble the droid as Ana continues to watch.

She could be helping, but there's a limited amount of room for them all to work, and the other two seem a little occupied with Anakin's presence at the moment anyway. She tries to ignore the pang of something a little like jealousy that runs through her.

Everyone around seems to care far more for him, she's noticed, and frankly it seems especially obvious on Ahsoka. It's not really fair to compare, she knows, since he's the one they've spent their life missing, not her, but still. And it's not like she doesn't want him to have people who care about him to that extent – she wants him to be happy – but she doesn't get why... why it seems true for everyone. Why she always comes second. Maybe it wouldn't bother her so much if it didn't seem like in one form or another, that's almost always been true.

"Ana?" Shmi appears in the doorway, behind her.

"Yeah, Mom?" she asks, slipping into the next room where Shmi is.

"What's wrong?" Shmi asks softly, eyeing her.

It was that obvious? "I – nothing," she mumbles.

"I know something's bothering you. You can tell me."

Ana sighs. "I guess it just seems like... ugh. He came here, and he just fits right in. It's not that – not that I wish he didn't, but it's like... they're closer with him, I guess." All in all, the sounded like a string of incoherent garbage, but she's fairly certain her mother understands, anyway.

"Ana," Shmi murmurs, moving closer and resting a hand on her shoulder, "Don't compare yourself with others. Don't decide your own worth based off what others do or don't have. You have things they don't, and they have things you don't. This isn't something you can compare."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Ana offers. She gets what she's saying, but she actually needs some time to think about it.

"And remember," Shmi adds, giving her a warm smile, "You aren't second to me. You and Anakin are both my children, and I love both of you more than words could ever describe."

Ana steps closer, wrapping her arms around her mother again, unsure how else to respond. She does know that she'd really like some time to get to know her brothers. Both Kitster and Anakin, because as much as she cares about them, she hardly knows them, and she really wants that to change.

***

Nights on Tatooine are the way she remembers. Maybe she should be sleeping, but Ana's too busy thinking over the events of the day for any sleep to come right now. She moves to take a seat on the ground in the back of the house, staring at the marked grave in front of her.