5 Years Later

She paced back and forth in her apartment. She was annoyed. He was late. Again. They had an agreement. She was suppose get the kids back as soon as their training was done Friday Nights. She checked her holocon. No new messages, no missed holographs. She groaned.

"Least if you are going to be late call."She thought.

"M'lady, would you like me to put dinner away?" Sabé her handmaiden asked peaking her head into the main living area.

"No, just put it on the warmer." She sighed "They should be here soon. Hopefully."

"Yes, M'lady." She said with a bow

Padmé hated when they bowed. They were not her salves, they were her friends, colleagues, even if they had a lower status than her. She checked her holocon again. Nothing. Frustrated Padme threw herself onto the couch. Why did he have to make everything so difficult. Why couldn't he just follow the custody plan. No, why wouldn't her just talk to her. It was bad enough that he could barely look her in the eyes, and he kept their conversations short and only about the kids. He had completely shut her out and she hated him for it. Thats why she was so mad. She didn't care that they were late, she cared that he didn't have the respect enough for her to call when he was running late. She rested her head back on the couch, closing her eyes. She felt her anger start to boil. Taking a deep breath she felt her holocon vibrate next her her. Picking it up she saw a transmittion come through. A picture poped up of her stylist.

"Darling!" An older woman, with short black hair, large glases, and one of the biggest nose Padme had ever seen.

"Good evening, Lorit, What can I do for this fine evening."

"I wanted to know, if you were 100% sure about tomorrow night?" Padme rolled her eyes.

"Yes I am 100% sure. I have no desire to go to the gala." The yearly gala was the yearly celebration of the end of the Clone Wars. Jedi, and Senators, the "Comon folks" All got together once a year to celebrate the end of a 3 year war. But for Padme it meant that of an end.

"But Darling! Take a look at this. " She pulled up an image of a light blue dress. The dress looked much like the dresses she used to wear at the lake country. It was the complete opposite from what she normally wore as the Senator of Naboo. "You would be radiant. No man could keep his eyes off of you. Married, or un-married, huh?" Lorit pushed

"Lorit, its amazing, but its my weekend with the kids, I can't."

"Even a mother can have some fun."

"Yes, I know." Padme sighed. "But, I can't"

"Darling I worry about you."

"Yes, yes I know." She rolled her eyes again.

"You need to move on."

"I..." She started to try and tell Lorit that she had, when her eyes caught the speeder that pulled onto her landing pad. "Lorit the kids just arrive. I'll talk to you late."

"Think about it!" Lorit made one last ditched effort and then the screen went blank. Padme stood up and made her way to the door. She watched her two young children hop out of the speeder. Her anger quickly dissolved as she watched her son and daughter run towards her. Luke looked just like his father, deep blue eyes, messy sandy blond hair, and of course his stubborn quick tempted dimenor. Leia on the other hand had taken after Padme, she had milky brown eyes, long ringlets of brown hair, and was quite the little negotiator already. Leia didn't however share either of her parents stubbornness. She was usually calm and quite, and Padme often wondered if she was even theirs. Though occasionally Leia would speak up with such sass, that any doubt Padme had would quickly dissolve. The twins had shown signs of being Force sensitive early on. Padme wasn't surprised when they did, put part of her broke when it happen. A constant fear in her grew that day, that she could never quite tame. What would happen to them? Would the Council take them away? Would she let them? Would he let them take the twins from her? She had been so relived when He had come to Naboo one day with the Council's offer. They would let her have 50/50 Custody. She would still get to be part of their life. She was surprised they had even offered to let her stay. Padme never complained though, she was happy to have the time she did, but part of her was scared that the council may change their minds.

"Mom!" The twins bother jumped into her open arms at the same time.

"Hello my loves! How was your day?" She asked pulling them close, hugging them tight.

"Mom! I made a box move today!" Luke said with such enthusiasm. Padme couldn't help but laugh, Luke was so much like his dad.

"You did!" She tried to match his enthusiasm.

"Yeah! It went this high!" Luke held his hand up over his head.

"No it didn't. It barely lifted off the ground." Leia accused obviously annoyed by Lukes fib.

"Least it actually lifted off the ground." Luke spat back. Anger flashed in Leia's eyes. She pushed her brother.

"Dad said not to tease me!" She cried.

"Luke, Leia." A stern voice came from the doorway behind them. The twins quickly turned around to face their Father and Padme's ex-husband Anakin Skywalker. His deep blue eyes burned with a sternness that was weird for Padme to see. Yet it also shown with a slight amusement. A look the Padme longed for and missed. "Luke you know better than to tease your sister. And Leia you know not to let jealousy get the best of you. Jealously leads"

"To anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to the darkside." The twins said in unison

"Exactly, now appologize to one another." He said quickly. The twins murmered half applogies to one another and then turned back to their mother.

"We are hungry." Leia said "Is dinner ready?"

"Sabe has something for you in the dinning room. Why don't you go see there is. I need to talk to your father." The twins gave each other an slight worried look but ran off to the kitchen anyways. Padme waited till she knew they were out of sight. She turned back to her ex-husband, and crossed her arms.

"You're late." She accused. "I've been waiting over an hour."

"Yes, I know." Hes said, almost brushing her off and wouldn't meet her eyes. Padme's anger began to boil again. "Obiwan came by at the end, and we just lost track of time."

"Then message me, call me, do something. Dammit Anakin, I don't think I am asking much. " She spat.

"I am sorry. It wont happen again." He said calmly. "But I can't always gaurentee that I will get them here exactly on your time." He was getting annoyed.

"Then communicate this to me! I realize that. I just ask that you tell me so I am not pacing around here worrying."

"You really think I can't take care of them?" He finally met her eyes, hurt.

"I am not saying that."

"Then what?"

"I just want you have at least some sort of respect for me, to let me know. " She shot back, almost yelling. She caught herself before things escalated into another fight. "Please." She added in a lower voice.

"I will do better next time." Anakin shot back coldly, his face like a stone, showed no real emotion. Padme couldn't understand where they had gone wrong. Why things were like this but in that moment she didn't care. Every part of her hated him, and she made she he knew it. She was sure he could sense her hate. "Anything else?"

"No. That will be all Master Skywalker. You can see yourself out." She bit back tears.

"I'll be back Monday for them." He said and turned on his heals to leave. He stopped short then turned back to her. "Can I say goodnight?" He asked more warmly. Padme's hate was at a full boil now. Typical. Of course, this is how he acts. He was cold towards her, but to their children he was nothing short of a devoted father, who loved his children with a zeal. She hated him even more for that because it made it harder for her to actually hate him. How could she deny him this, no how could she deny her children their father.

"Fine." She turned her back him. A few minutes later she heard him go into the kitchen. There was sounds of the chairs moving and muffled I love yous. She turned and watched had Anakin wordlessly left. Angry, frustrated and hurt, Padme grabbed her holocon. Lorit's picture came up. "Lorit, Ive changed my mind. Can you come for a fitting first thing in the morning?"