Mustafar

Anakin Skywalker, where are you?

The question painfully rang through Padme's mind over and over and over as she wondered where she was.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought.

It was like a reflex. Whenever she was in fear, he's the first person who came to mind. His comforting blue eyes. His long, curly blonde curls. His handsome face…his strong features…his strong, soothing hands…

No! Not Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader. Not comforting blue eyes, but seething red ones.

"Padme?"

She knew that voice. She knew that voice.

"Padme? Padme, wake up. Padme please, please wake up."

No. She kept her eyes tightly shut. She wasn't going to face this world if she had to.

"Padme? Padme, I think your water broke!"

She stared into kind blue eyes.

It was a trick. He was dead. It couldn't be him.

She was right. Her Ani was dead. She was staring into the tired but friendly face of Obi-Wan Kenobi. She struggled to find her voice.

"Obi-Obi-Wan? W-w-where? Where am I?"

"On Mustafar. Padme, you have to listen to me. We have to get you to the medical bay on Coruscant, or you may not survive the birth,"

The birth. No, no, no, no, no. Not without Anakin."

"Obi-Wan, I can't. I can't have this baby without him and you know it. We've been planning this forever."

She saw a pained look flash across his face.

"I don't…I don't... I don't know where he his."

That was the truth. He had no clue. He was still confused as to what happened exactly.

Flashback

This was it. It was over. It was forever over. He had to make the choice.

Obi-Wan stared solemnly at his former Padawan.

"It's over Anakin! I have the high ground!

He was met only with glaring red eyes, and a look to challenge even the strongest of Jedi.

"You underestimate my power!"

Fool. To jump would be suicide. Surely Anakin wouldn't be so bold as to-

"Auuuuuuuugh!"

Was that Anakin jumping? No, he wouldn't.

He didn't. He just stood there. Obi-Wan was now more than confused. The bold feeling he had felt from Anakin's-or Vader's-direction was seeping away, as if the heat from the lava was melting his confidence.

An even worse sight was that he had slumped to his knees, holding his head in pain.

He flicked one last glance to Obi-Wan, stood up, and leapt. But he didn't go near Obi-Wan, who was already in a defense position. He had simply run away, muttering something about this not being her time or something like that.

Obi-Wan truly had wanted to know why his normally hot-headed friend had just given up on the fight. That wasn't the Anakin Skywalker he knew, and in what he had learned from the new found alter-ego in the past few hours, that's not something Darth Vader would do either.

But for now, he had to find Padme. And with that, he had left.

End of Flashback

"Wait…what? You don't know where he is? But that's…that's not possible. Obi-Wan, I can still feel him. I can feel his pain. I know he's not dead. I can, I can hear his thoughts, if I really listen. He's…he's confused. And he's searching for me. I don't know where he is, but I know he's getting closer. And I don't know if it's Ani or Vader searching for me…"

Obi-Wan looked truly disturbed by those words.

With great effort, he spoke.

"Alright, Padme, we're going to Coruscant. The temple has healers for you."

He picked her up, and ran towards her ship with all his might.

Coruscant, Hours later.

She looks scared. So scared. What I would do to help he, to wrap my arms around her. Wait…what am I talking about? Why am I waiting out here? I can go in there if I want. And if anyone stops me, I'll take their heads off.

He put his hand on the door. He could feel her inside their, he longed to be by her side. But something was stopping him. Was it the presence of his former master? No. It was her. Why? He couldn't tell. How would she feel when she say him. Would she be happy to see him alive?

No. You hurt her. It'll never be the same.

Why had he even come back here? Habit was his best guess. He could feel her pain, and he had come running. He had dropped the very crucial duel he was in the middle of and came foolishly running back to someone who wouldn't even want him there.

Anakin backed away from the door, and slumped against the wall, his brain a storm of emotions.

On the other side of the door, things weren't going so wall.

As a senator and former queen, Padme had learn to control her emotions in the most regal of fashions in the worst of times. But this she couldn't handle.

"ANAKIN!"

She called his name with every contraction. She hoped he could hear her. He was right outside the door. She knew why he couldn't come in. She could feel him.

She knew it would take him courage to walk through that door. But that had never stopped him before. Usually Anakin didn't even think about these things. He ran on impulse, heart always beating head.

She heard the door click...and held her breath...