Whatever his misgivings at Padme's decision to stay with her family in the naboo countryside he had to concede it was a lovely spot and despite of his anxiety, he was hungry.
Padme's mother, Jobal, seeming to read his mind, smiled at him and poured a delicious smelling broth into a clay bowl in front of him.
"Thank you" he said before beginning to eat with enthusiasm "it's delicious!"
"I'm glad you like it, my husband can't face the day without it. Did you sleep well?"
"Fine thanks" lied Anakin, he didn't see a reason to relate the history of his recent insomnia to this stranger, although he did waver momentarily in that conviction. there was something in her manner that reminded him of his own mother, the same warmth, but without the underlying sadness and guilt at their predicament on tatooine.
"Where's Padme?" he asked, chastising himself mentally for getting distracted.
"She's out walking with Sola, catching up I suppose, Padme doesn't get back here as much as we would like"
"I guess so" said Anakin and lapsed into silence again.
Jobal sat down at the head of the table, placing her mug of Caff in front of her.
"Do you have any family back on Corsucant?" she asked, looking thoughtfully at this strange, intense young man.
Anakin fumbled "Ah, no, well unless you count my master and the other Jedi but I wouldn't exactly call the temple homely, not like this anyway"
Jobal laughed "No I expect not, how about your parents, where are they?"
" I er, well my mother is on Tatooine. I never had a father", he replied avoiding her gaze.
Perhaps sensing his discomfort, Jobal patted his hand kindly, saying "Well I am sure she would be very proud of you"
Anakin smiled shyly. Just then Padme's father lurched into the room, dragging a well used Agrodroid behind him.
"Ruwee Shamsisen Naberrie, how many times do I have to tell you NOT to bring your filthy machines into my kitchen" Sola said indignantly.
Ruwee looked sheepishly at both her and Anakin "the Chema store's full of sacks of loamsite for the festival next week, I have nowhere else to repair it"
Anakin got up and moved round to help Ruwee drag the droid further onto the stone floor.
"Can i take a look?" he ventured "Sure" said Ruwee eyeing the young man quizzically "you, er, any good with droids" Anakin smiled up at him "I've been known to tinker, yeah, it's what I figured. the breach motor for the seed drill is drenched in coolant, the reservoir must have a leak. Have you any cheg tape?"
Ruwee stared dumbfounded at Anakin's questioning gaze "Er, yeah, sure, I must have some outside in the workshop. Could you maybe carry that thing outside for me and I'll go get some?"
"No problem" Anakin smiled back at Jobal, happy to be helping out, happy to be involved in something he could understand, he could fix. Jobal sighed,
"Now don't wear the poor boy out, Ru, Anakin isn't here to expand your mechanical skills"
her husband pretended to be offended at the suggestion, clapping Anakin on the shoulder as he lugged the broken droid out through the door, "you heard him? he offered to help"
Outside the sun rose higher in the opaline sky as Padme and Sola, wandered back along the track to the family home.
The conversation, by Sola's design, had rapidly spiralled in from galactic politics to Padme's love life or lack thereof.
"Everyone says they don't have time or they're too busy, its the oldest excuse there is and I'll never buy it, especially from you" Sola was getting exasperated with her sister's evasiveness.
Padme laughed, this time was so precious and it felt like it was the first time since the assassination attepts began that she had been able to relax. She reached for her sister's hand.
"Oh Soso, it's not that I don't see it in my future but I can't see it happening any time soon that's all"
"You know for a supposedly insightful politician" "don't use that word!"
"OK, senator,,...for someone supposedly so insightful, you fail to see the emotional supernova unfolding right in front of you"
"What do you mean?"
"Oh come on sis, your bodyguard?, tall, handsome.."
"younger than me.."
"Don't interrupt!, where was I? Handsome and with a whole array of smouldering looks, all aimed toward.." she placed her finger on the middle of Padme's chest "You!"
"He doesn't look at me that way" "How would you know? Eyes on the treaty remember?"
"It's his job, he's assigned to protect me, that's all. He's just being thorough"
"I'll say, he'll step in foodu first before he takes his eyes off you"
"Knock it off Sola, he's been through a lot, you shouldn't make fun of him"
"I thought I was teasing you?" Sola smiled cheekily and out her arm around Padme's waist "You could do a lot worse"
As they rounded the gatepost, Padme saw her father standing proudly over a now functioning Agrodroid. Beside him Anakin, tall and lean in the sun, stepped back, wiping his hands and surveying his handiwork.
As she watched, her father placed an arm around the young Jedi's shoulder and said something congratulatory to him before running back into the workshop.
Anakin, turned and saw her watching him. The sun backlit the bangs of hair that framed her lovely face and he realised he was staring. Abruptly he turned his gaze back to the droid.
"You've been busy" said Padme as she came to stand next to him "Well, any excuse to get my hands dirty, besides your folks have been really good putting us up like this"
"Well thanks, I have always thought Dad wished one of us had been a boy. Not that he hasn't tried to drag us into helping fix something or other over the years" Anakin smiled "If i'd known that I would have asked you to work on my starfighter with me"
"Really? you'd trust me to mess with your ship?"
"Trust is a big word, I wouldn't say trust exactly" he laughed as she hit him playfully on the arm.
She liked this side of him, his smile was boyish with a glint of mischief and as they stood outside in the warm sun, laughing over a quietly chugging droid, the affairs of a galaxy seemed blissfully remote.