Okay so this is my first story, I was encouraged by a friend of mine to start publishing on this website, after I began to annoy her with my constant stories, ha ha. Hope I wont do that to any of you to happen to read this.

So, the premise of this came to me when I was actually watching CSI. It was something Grissom said, "The best intentions are often fraught with disappointment." And it sent of bells in my head, as many things do and I started to research a few more quotes similar to it and I came up with these.

"All human sin seems so much worse in its consequence then in its intentions." – Reinhold Niebuhr

"Half the results of a good intention are evil; half the results of an evil intention are good." – Mark Twain

"It is difficult to say who does the most harm: enemies with the worst intentions or friends with the best." – Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

"Hell is paved with good intentions, not bad ones." George Bernard Shaw

So after spending hours on the web with alarms still ringing and a few more quotes stuck in my mind I got the idea, what would happen if a person did something for all the right reasons and still lost everything? The problem was I didn't know what to apply it to. Last weekend anyway, my girlfriend and I, the same one mentioned above, were watching Star Wars and towards the end of episode 3 I just blurted out what if Anakin killed Palpatine and Padme still died anyway? My story began.

So after this incredibly long and obnoxious authors not, fair play to those who read it, here is my, probably bad, story: Fraught.

Please review.

******

Anakin jumped from his speeder and he ran. Sweat coated his face and dripped down his body, his heart pumping wildly in his chest as he made his way inside the medical centre. In his mind he tried to comprehend the message he had received from his beloved wife, but the words she had spoken seemed foreign, strange. Wrong.

"Ani, something's wrong."

How could something be wrong? It wasn't meant to be wrong, everything was supposed to be fine. Perfect. That was the plan. The dream. It was supposed to be a dream, not a nightmare, but it was becoming a nightmare. His nightmare.

"I have the power to save the one you love."

He tried to push down the memory, the words Palpatine had spoken to him. He had promised Anakin everything he desired. Power. The power to save Padme. He had seen her die, woken up drenched in sweat hearing her whisper his name on her last breath. No. He told himself. This was wrong. All wrong. Palpatine was gone. Padme was safe. Their child was safe.

Anakin turned the corner of the medical centre and he stopped, his ability to walk, to think, to move, to breath, suddenly vanished, with the sight of seeing his beautiful, strong, talented wife lying on her back, pale and fragile, weak.

Her stomach was fully exposed to the world in the drab white medical sheet she wore, for the first time since she had become pregnant. It was the first time anybody other then he had seen her like this, seen their miracle, their joy, their child. Padme didn't turn her head, she didn't move her hands, she was barely moving, to Anakin it didn't even look like she was breathing. But he knew she was, he could feel her, feel her essence, feel her heartbeat through the Force, it was the only thing that kept him from falling down on his knees and screaming.

Anakin felt his feet move and step by step he moved closer to her, in an agonisingly slow pace. He wanted to get their faster, but he couldn't. The closer he got to her, the further away she seemed. Anakin swallowed hard as he stopped outside the glass pane that was separating him from his wife. His blue eyes, glassy and glistening looked deep at his wife, her beautiful brown eyes, were closed to him and closed to the world. He swallowed again. Medical droids swarmed around the room, checking her vital signs and the vital signs of the baby.

The baby. Anakin stared at Padme's swollen belly. His child was growing inside. Their child. They child he had never considered having, the child that he had known for less then a few weeks, the child he had loved more then anything else in the world.

"I have the power to save the one you love."

Anakin gritted his teeth, shoving away the thoughts of his former friend and mentor. They weren't real. He was wrong. Padme was strong. Stronger then anyone he knew. She could survive. She would survive. Anakin was sure. His nightmares meant nothing. They were planted in his mind. By Palpatine. He had wanted Anakin to turn, to be his apprentice, to be a Sith and he had tried to turn him by using his greatest weakness. Padme. The thought of her death spurred Anakin to actions he didn't think he was capable of. Actions that could have lead him to the dark side. Palpatine's plan was ingenious and it had almost succeeded, but Anakin knew what Padme would think of him. Knew the dangers of Palpatine's words. After thirteen years of being subjected to Palpatine's teachings he had finally seen through the old man. It had cost Mace Windu his life, but in the end Anakin had come through the dark.

He bit his lip as one of the medical droids came out of Padme's room. The Jedi had proof that Anakin's nightmares had been planted by the Sith Lord. They had proof. Padme was going to be fine, even if they remained blissfully unaware of that fact. She was going to be safe. She would live.

"What's going on?" he asked as the medical droid hovered in front of him. His voice was weak and hollow, he was trying to convince himself that he had done the right thing in declining Palpatine's deal and killing the sith lord, but as he looked at his wife, he was beginning to regret his decision and his firm belief in his nightmares had returned.

"There have been complications, several in fact. We have searched through her history and we cannot seem to find any of Mrs Naberrie's previous medical appointments." The droid informed him as he began to list out all of the aliments that were swarming through Padme.

Anakin tried to think, had Padme ever been to a doctor concerning her pregnancy? He didn't know; he had missed so much of it. She had never told him, never a word of a doctor or a medical droid. What if she hadn't gone? What complications could have arose from nine months of no medical treatment? Was she in danger? Was the baby?

"For reasons we can not prevent, we are losing her."

Anakin's head snapped towards the medical droid, who simply hovered before him, it could offer no comforting words, its face showed no sympathy, it was simply there to deliver the news that the human and non-human species could no longer bare to convey. Anakin moved closer to the glass room, protecting his wife, he placed his hand on the pane, trying to touch her, feel her, but for some reason, even with his strengths and talents, he couldn't. It was like she wasn't there anymore.

"We need to operate soon if we are to save the babies."

"Babies?" Anakin repeated.

"She's carrying twins." The droid said simply before he moved away from the ailing Jedi, husband, father, before him. Anakin breath hitched, his heart stopped. He couldn't feel anything. Not his wife, not his body, not the Force, not the people surrounding him. For the first time in his life Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, was alone and he was hallow.

"Twins." The word slipped from his mouth before he could stop it, before he could push it down and pretend like it hadn't happened, like it was still just one baby. For some reason he thought that would make the loss seem less, but it didn't. The loss of one equalled the loss of two.

The pain was completely the same.

Anakin ran his hand through his hair as the tears slipped down his face. A Jedi shall not no anger. Nor hatred. Nor love. Anakin had broken the code so many times that he had truly lost count but now everything seemed magnified. He was angry at himself, Palpatine had offered him the chance to save Padme, to protect her, to keep her and the babies alive and he had turned him down, he had killed him. He hated himself for it. He had only wanted to do the right thing. He had only had the best of intentions.

He loved Padme and he had just cost her, her life.

If she had married someone else, she never would have had to hide her pregnancy, the doctors could have prevented every complication she was suffering from now. If it weren't for him, she would have lived.

Anakin straightened up and he wiped his eyes, knocking away the tears. He had to be strong today, he had to be the one to wipe away the tears, to whisper encouraging words; he had to be Padme.

When he walked inside the Padme's room, her eyes fluttered open, the beautiful brown eyes he had fallen in love with looked up at him and she smiled. He smiled back, but it was forced, he knew and he could tell she did too.

"Ani," she whispered stretching her hand outwards towards him. She could barely lift it. He pushed the tears back as he took her hand in his and kissed it.

"The baby is coming," she said softly, her eyes opening and closing.

"Babies," he corrected her with a sad smile, "It twins my love. We're having twins."

Padme smiled, bright and wide and her eyes which were slowly losing their life, sparkled with joy. She brought his hand clasped in hers to her swollen stomach and Anakin felt one of the babies kick underneath her soft flesh. His eyes filled with tears again, the baby, the babies wanted to live.

He bent down and he kissed her stomach, feeling a kick respond underneath, he smiled, "Please fight." He whispered. Anakin looked up to his wife, who was struggling to stay awake, "Padme," he whispered, "Please. Don't leave me."

Padme murmured, "I'll never leave you."

Anakin gently brushed her hair back, whispering soothing words to her, as she started to lose her fight with life. The medical droid re-entered the room, carrying a tray filled with syringes and small bottles. He took one syringe, filled it, and proceeded to stick it into one of the many tubes connected to Padme. She moaned as it took effect, Anakin never let her feel it though; she concentrated solely on his voice and on the gentle reassuring kick of her children.

"It will soon be time," the droid told Anakin in his mechanical voice, "We gave her some medication to keep her alert and to induce labour, it will begin very shortly. In her weakened state she may not be able to do what is required of her, you will have to keep her focused and alive long enough to deliver the babies."

Anakin never took his eyes off Padme.

Minutes flew by and Padme's eyes began to open wider, the kicks of the babies became more frequent. Anakin knew it was time. He stood up from the seat he had been resting on. He removed his cloak. He never let go of Padme's hand.

The medical droid returned along with another one and slowly they eased Padme into the device that would assist her in the labour.

"It is time." The droid said as Padme screamed, loud and primal. She squeezed Anakin's hand as the first contraction hit her and she screamed again. Anakin bent low and whispered in her ear, telling her lies he prayed would become reality. He pushed aside his rational mind and told Padme to think of the room she had set up in Naboo, the baby's room, right by the gardens.

"We'll be there soon, the four of us," he prayed kissing her hand, "You just have to push."

She nodded her head, choosing to believe in his words, even though she herself knew from the beginning that she would not survive.

It had been weeks since the demise of Palpatine at her husband's blade and the Clone Wars were coming to an end. She had gone to the Lake Country just as she had planned, she had finished the baby's room and as she relaxed after her day of work she felt the pain rip through her abdomen. At first she had believed it to be labour but as the pains became more frequent she knew they were unnatural. She knew there was something wrong. Threepio had flown the ship to the nearest medical centre after she had sent the message to Anakin. The droids filled her with all sorts of drugs and tubes as they questioned her on her pregnancy.

They were frazzled. She knew that was not a good sign, but it was her husband that had let her know that her time was truly up. Anakin was calm, he was collected, he was dealing only with her. If it was a normal situation he would have been yelling at the droids, complaining, trying to make a joke, but he wasn't. So she knew she was dying.

She had tried to cry, tried to scream but she couldn't, she was too tired, too weak. So she lay there, her husband whispering sweet little lies into her ears and she indulged in the perfect fantasies he had created just for her. When the real labour began she couldn't ignore her pain, she was going to die. She would never see her children grow up and she would never grow old with her beloved husband. The drug she had been given, gave her the energy to give birth and to do what she longed to do, weep.

"You can do it Angel," Anakin continued to encourage, "You're almost there."

Padme nodded again as exhaustion overcame her, she pushed for the very last time as her scream tore through the room only to be interrupted by a cry. Anakin looked down and saw the large white medical droid hold the baby, his first baby, his son.

He gasped at the sight of his first born child as he was wrapped in a blanket and placed in his father's arms.

"Luke," Padme whispered.

"You were right Angel," he whispered, "We were having a boy."

"The girl should be only another minute." The droid said.

"Did you hear that Padme? A girl. We're having a girl. Leia, Leia's coming." Anakin said as he cradled Luke in his strong arms.

"You were right too." She said sadly.

Machines started to whirr and wiz and the medical droids looked around, grasping at syringes and looking at screens as they shouted out statistics that Anakin couldn't bare to hear.

"Only with me can your wife escape certain death."

What did I do? Anakin asked himself as the image of striking down Palpatine flashed before his eyes. He killed the only chance his wife had of survival. He had killed his wife. His nightmare had come true.

"No," came Padme's soft, broken, weak voice she brought her hand away from her son and laid it on Anakin's tear stained cheek, "It wasn't you." She told him, knowing his nightmare was replaying in his mind, "Never… never blame…yourself. Anakin… it wasn't you… you loved me… love our children." She struggled to speak.

"Padme, please!" he begged, "Your stronger then this. You can fight this. Please!" the tears fell down his face freely, he no longer cared as the pandemonium surrounded them, he did not care who saw him cry, he only wanted her to live.

"You'll be… a good father." She told him smiling, "This will never be your fault… never… I love you… don't ever…blame…"

Her hand fell from his cheek, Anakin felt the graze, for almost eleven years it would be the only thing he would ever feel, as her hand slipped, he caught it in his. Her hand was limp. Her eyes were closed. The galaxy would never see her brown eyes again.

"Padme…" he gasped as the pandemonium died and silence sheathed the room, there was not a single machine still active. His wife was gone. Dead.

He looked down at one of the droids expecting to see one of them holding his baby daughter, his Leia, but their arms were empty.

Padme's stomach was still swollen. Inside, encased forever, was his daughter, too dead, like her mother.

Anakin backed away from the lifeless body of his wife, and the remnants of his unborn daughter. His son began to cry, suddenly aware of the loss of his twin and his mother and the overwhelming grief radiating from his father. Anakin tried to comfort the baby but he couldn't. Not when he was crying too. He held Luke tight as he screamed in anguish, destroying everything surrounding him, the equipment, the white droid who had delivered his son and the pane of glass that had separated him from his wife.

It shattered everywhere. A waterfall of glass. It trickled on the floor, sharp crystals echoing around him as his wife lay silent and stony. Gone forever. Blissfully unaware of the shower of glass that fell over her.

For a long time it was how Anakin would think of her, lying still under a waterfall of glass.

Like the falls of Naboo she had loved so much.

******

Anakin returned to the home he and Padme had planned to share together, to raise their family in. He went directly to the babies' nursery. He had never seen in. It was spectacular, a bright perfect yellow, full off holos, a giant mural of a waterfall cascading down over the babies crib. Stuffed creatures lined the walls. The scent of fresh flowers and shurra fruit filled the air. Luke lay silent in his arms, as he walked inside to the window. Outside were the gardens.

The beautiful gardens.

But Anakin only saw Padme, pregnant with Leia, lying still and cold on the bed underneath the shimmering waterfall of glass.

He pulled himself away, bleary eyed, from the window, from the beauty he couldn't see and he sat himself in an old rocking chair. He rocked back in forth, trying to urge his young son to sleep. He wouldn't. Luke looked up at his father with his own blue eyes. He was the image of Anakin. But Anakin only saw Padme.

******

His comm. Line buzzed but he didn't answer it, he couldn't find the energy. He had grown accustom to sitting in the rocking chair as Luke slept in his arms. The comm. Interrupted his new found life, which consisted of the chair, of Luke, of the image of Padme, and the sound of the shattering glass. The humming that only ever filled his ears.

The comm. Continued and with a great struggle Anakin lifted his right arm and answered, "Yes."

His voice was nothing but a whisper as he stared at the mural of the waterfall Padme had painted.

He only saw glass.

"Anakin, are you alright?" Obi-Wan's concerned voice echoed down the line.

"Yes," he said again but his voice was none the stronger, "Just tired." He lied.

"Well…Anakin, something has happened," Obi Wan said, his voice sad and pained, "I don't know how to tell you this, Force, my friend, it's Padme…

"She's dead, I know." He answered, his voice devoid of all emotion.

"You know?" Obi Wan sounded surprised.

"I don't feel her anymore." Anakin elaborated, his voice was dead. Obi Wan grew worried.

"Her funeral is to take place on Naboo, are you there now?"

"Yes."

Luke gurgled and opened his eyes, blue like Anakin's, he only saw Padme.

"I have to go now." He said and he ended the comm. Link before Obi Wan could say anything.

He could barely look at his son. His line of sight never left the waterfall.

Only glass.

******

Anakin stood in the crowd as Padme's funeral procession passed him by. His hood was up. It hid his tears. Her hair was covered in flowers, in her hands she held the necklace he had made for her so many years ago. He wished it was the only symbol she held of their love, but it wasn't.

The dress she wore revealed her pregnant belly; mourners stared at both it and the lost senator. They were marvelled. Like Obi Wan Kenobi who stood transfixed between the deceased woman and his former padawan who exuded pain.

Anakin watched as her family walked by, Padme's sister and mother glanced at him, he looked down. They didn't look away. It was young Pooja who stared more openly at him. She waved.

Anakin waved back before he disappeared into the crowd and returned to his son.

******

Dorme had watched him. She knew. Anakin barely said two words to her before he dismissed her and she went to participate in the ending of her friend's funeral. Anakin couldn't stay, he wasn't sure what he would do if he did. Anakin held Luke in his arms and he tried to think of how he could raise the baby without Padme by his side. Dorme could not stay forever. In fact she couldn't stay at all. She would join the queen now, as her handmaiden.

Luke stared at him. Studied him. Like he knew what his father was thinking, what he was planning to do.

Anakin wept, "I'm sorry. I can't."

******

It had been two days since the funeral of Padme Amidala and the revelation that she pregnant. The galaxy was still in shock and mourning. He had just returned from Naboo after an extensive search for Anakin, who had disappeared during the funeral.

He sighed. Anakin was devastated by the loss of the woman he had secretly loved for years. Obi Wan knew it must have crushed him to know that she had loved another and that she was carrying his child. That was what he told himself, but he did not know if he even believed it.

He walked up the steps of the Jedi temple and stopped. Taken back. On the top step in front of the door was a bundle. Obi Wan bent over and picked up a baby boy. Wrapped in cloths he recognised from Naboo. Obi Wan looked around to see if whoever had left the boy was still around. He saw no one. He looked down on the sleeping baby. Around his neck was a necklace, a japor snippit that looked familiar to Obi Wan, but he couldn't place it.

There was a not attached to the boy. It said simply in handwriting that Obi Wan didn't recognise:

I'm sorry. Tell my son, Luke, I'm sorry.

The boy opened his big blue eyes. Obi Wan smiled at him before hurrying him inside the temple.

Anakin watched from a distance as his son was taken away.

He saw only glass.

******

Okay so that was chapter one. What do you think any good? Please review if you like it, if you don't, please don't crucify me, I'm incredibly fragile.

Thanks

Anna