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Anakin was a good kid, generally he did what his parents asked but he had his moments of rebellion. One of those moments had been going to a party his junior year of high school. He had gotten drunk for the first time that night and ended up sleeping with a random senior, something that would have been just a crazy night he would forget about in a few months had he not been drunk and forgot to ware a condom. So now he was sitting in a waiting room making the most important decision of his life. The girl he knocked up went into early labor, giving birth at only 23 weeks.
The original plan was to give the baby up for adoption, but the adoptive parents had pulled out. The baby girl Anakin had Fathered had a 50/50 chance of making it out of the hospital and a high likelihood of permanent disability, those odd were not good enough for the adopting parents to handle. Sasha, the senior Anakin had knocked up had made her decision months ago, and was sticking to it, she had a full ride to college on the other side of the country and a bright future planned and a baby was not going to fit in that plan. The only reason she hadn’t aborted was because her mother had a coworker who was having trouble getting matched for adoption, so she chose a private adoption. She had it completely planned before she even told Anakin, he didn’t even have the option to want the baby, and now he was the only one that did.
The choice for him was easy, the second he saw his baby girl, he was in love. Even hooked up to life support and what seemed to be a hundred monitors, she was the most beautiful thing he had seen in his entire life. She was so small and helpless her caramel skin matched her mothers, her tiny hands and feet holding ten toes and ten fingers, with the lightest dusting of pin curls popping out of her head, she was perfect and he would do absolutely anything for her. He knew it was hard to find couples to adopt premie babys, and that meant without him this little angel would end up in the system, just like he had. He had been put into foster care as a child having been taken from his Mom at 5 when she had become homeless, he was placed in a Terrible group home on a farm where he basically worked as a slave for the man who ran it. He had been 9 when he was assigned to a new social worker and Qui-Gon had immediately had Wattos foster license removed. That was actually how Qui-Gon had met his Mother, Shmi had been petitioning to get custody back for two years having finally gotten herself into a position to care for Anakin again. Qui-Gon ended up not only helping her get custody back but also falling in love so he ended up with an incredible stepfather coming into his life along with his stepbrother Obi-Wan. Anakin was a rare success story but he knew many of the kids from Wattos just went to other homes that where just as bad as the one they left, he would not let his Daughter end up like that. The issue came when he had to face his and Sasha’s parents.
They had all gathered in a separate room from Sasha, having already been told by her that she was fine with whatever decision her parents made about the care of the baby who didn’t even have a name yet. Anakin really wished his Brother Obi-Wan was here so he might have someone to back him up but he had gone to get their grandfather from the airport, so Anakin was on his own.
“I’m going to keep her,” he announced to the silent gathering of adults in front of him as soon as they settled into seats, thinking just ripping the baggage off would be best. “When she leaves the hospital it will be difficult to find a family willing to take a baby with special needs and I will not let her end up in the foster system I have been there and I won’t let her end up in a situation like that.”
His parents shared a look for just a moment before Qui-Gon spoke, “We will support you no matter what. So if you want to raise her we will support you”
“Sasha has decided she does not wish to be in the child’s life,” said Sasha’s mother “we will not be offering any kind of support to this child be it monetary or otherwise, do you still want her if she doesn’t come with a check?”
Anakin bristled at the comment, but before he could respond his mother spoke.
“My son dose not need or want your money,” she said white hot anger flashing in her eyes “and my granddaughter will not be needing your presence in her life, and she will have a life, she will be making it out of this hospital and she will be remarkable and it will be because my son will be a remarkable father.”
Sasha’s parents seemed to bristle at Shmis tone but had no time to before the social worker assigned baby Skywalker’s case entered the room. Plo Koon was actually a good friend of his step father, Anakin had not been surprised to see Plo assigned to this case, knowing Qui-Gon he had called in a favor to make sure Anakin had someone on his side. Sasha’s mother went to get her so they could finalize everything.
“It sounds to me like the decision has been made” plo said to the assembled parents pulling the paper work out for everyone to sign, “All paternal rights will be willfully signed over to Young Skywalker,” he turned to Sasha holding out a pen “you will be forfeiting all rights and responsibility as the biological Mother, are you sure this is the choice you wish to make.”
Sasha nodded her head and took the pen sighing her name on the marked line. Plo then Turned to Anakin. Before Plo could open his mouth to speak Anakin had taken the pen and begun to sign the papers.
“I see that you are confident in your decision Anakin” Plo said with a small grin.
After Sasha and her parents had finished signing everything they left the room. Anakin finished signing everything he needed and turned to headed back to the NicU , when Sasha spoke.
“I know you think this make me terrible, not wanting her, but I have plans for my life, and being a mother doesn’t factor into them right now.”
Anakin froze hearing her words, bristling at the selfishness in them “well she will fit into my plans just fine”
With those words he left the room heading back to his baby girls side, watching over her until she was wrong enough to go home.
Anakin was startled an hour or so later when a hand touched his shoulder. He looked up to see his older brother standing behind him looking at the tiny infant in her enclosed crib. For a moment they simply stood in silence together, Obi-Wan waiting for Anakin to speak as he always did when he knew he needed time to collect his thoughts.
“Am I doing the right thing Obi?” Anakin asked looking up at his older brother. “What if I mess her up, what if I’m not enough, what if she needs more then I can give?”
“Anakin, I can’t tell you this will be an easy choice to live,” said Obi-Wan looking down at his niece before meeting his brothers eyes. “I can’t tell you that you won’t mess up now and then. What I can tell you is you will not be alone in this, we are here for you, Mom, Dad and Me, together we will be everything she needs.”
Anakin nodded his head finding the comfort he needed in his brothers words.
“Have you decided on a name yet?”
“I have” said Anakin looking back down at his daughter, “Ashoka, it means hope and for a middle name Tano it means destiny”
Obi wan smiled Down at his niece, “Ahsoka Tano Skywalker, hope with a destiny to walk among the stars, a very fitting name for a miracle baby. She is a miracle, Anakin, she is a fighter, just like her father” he said shooting a cheeky wink at his little brother.
It was about two months later that Anakin along with his parents and brother took Ahsoka home. As he left the hospital he had spent almost every moment at over the last 72 days he thought of how true his brothers words had been, Ahsoka was born 3months early and given only a 50% chance of survival, but she pulled through, and though she would face so many obstacles like many premature baby’s did his baby girl would be just fine. She was a fighter, just like her father.