It was well past midnight when his car pulled into the small sleepy town in Washington. The driver yawned as he pulled into the parking lot of a small motel. Pulling out his wallet, he counted the bills he had. He had enough to fill his tank back up and pick up a couple snacks, but it certainly wasn't enough for a room for the night. Shoving the wallet back in his pocket, he double checks to make sure his doors are locked before maneuvering his body to pass between the driver and passenger seats to get into the back row. Bags of half eaten snacks crunched under his foot after he accidently stepped on one as he arranged his long body to laydown on the row. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, and there was always the chance that someone would try to break in and steal what little money he had, but it was all he had most nights.

Reaching for the Nike shoebox he had lodged under the seat, he opens it and pulls out the small revolver within. This is one of the quieter towns he has been to and he doesn't expect as much trouble as when he was in Chicago, but experience has told him never to be too cautious. Every town has its scum and the night is when they prowl. He spins the cylinder, and checks to make sure it won't jam and that the safety is on. With a sigh, he tucks the gun under his jacket and turns onto his side to sleep.

"No…" He mumbles, "No…no- stop- leave her-" He wakes with a jolt. The revolver clenched tightly in his shaking fist as he slowly recognizes where he is. Rubbing his eye with the heel of his palm, he checks his watch. It is only five in the morning and the sun is only barely peeking over the horizon, but there are people slowly emerging from their homes and making their way to work. There is no better time to ask around for work than now. Returning the revolver to its hiding spot, he unlocks his doors and grabs the small toiletries bag he has and opens the trunk of his car. In the back is several bags of food and cases of water next to two small suitcases of clothes. Lifting the collar of the shirt he is wearing, he gives it a sniff to make sure it is still clean. He knows that the next time he comes across a Laundromat he is going to need to wash his clothes, but for the time being the black shirt he is wearing will do. Taking one of the water bottles he unscrews the cap and pours some of it on a toothbrush. A group of children walking to school stop to stare at him as he brushes his teeth in the middle of a parking lot. He raises a hand and waves to them, and unsurprisingly they turn their heads and start walking a little faster. Giving a shrug, he turns his head and spits off to the side, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. With the rest of the water left in the bottle, he bends over and pours it on his hair. Scrubbing hard at his scalp, he tries to make himself look less of the mess he knows he is. Sleeping in a car has never been known to leave someone without terrible bedhead. It is nearly impossible to stay still at night and the constant tossing and turning has left him with his messy dark blonde hair sticking out awkwardly in places. With his hair now wet, he throws his head back as he shakes the excess water and runs his hands through his hair, pulling out the knots and smoothing it out as best he can. He checks the side mirror to make sure he looks decent enough before closing and locking the car before walking down the street to the convenience store he remembered seeing on his way through the town.

The town was very small with only one gas station, one diner and maybe five stores; it was certainly not the type of town he expected there to be much work. But there was bound to be something that would at least afford him the luxury of sleeping in a bed just for a night or even just one hot meal that wasn't a hot dog from a truck stop. The bell hanging above the door dinged as he entered the store. An older man stood sweeping the floor by the rack of snacks. When he entered, the man looked up and raised his brow at him; obviously aware he was not from here.

"Can I help you, sir?" He asked.

"Yeah." He said, wiping his hands on the back of his pants, "I'm looking for work. I don't need much- just enough to get me back on the road."

The man rested his hands on the top of the broom, "I don't have a job opening, son."

"Is there anyone in town looking for some help?" He asked, "I worked in retail when I was in high school. Worked in a garage too. I can fix things, and I'm pretty strong too if manual labor is needed. Please, sir."

The man looked him up and down and sighed, "Diner down the street. Ask for Mina, tell her Bibble sent you."

"Thank you, sir." He said, bowing his head slightly before he turned and left the store and made his way to the diner.

Onderon was an unusual name for a diner, but he wasn't one to judge since the garage he worked at in high school had been called Watto's Widgets. Glancing in the window of the diner, he noticed it had either a 70's theme or a science fiction theme. It was hard to tell which with the neon lights and the posters of 1970's science fiction movies. Walking through the door, he took a seat at the counter and waited for one of the waitresses to come over. Looking around he noticed most of the tables were empty save three of them, which were occupied most likely by regulars based on the way they interacted with the two waitresses.

It wasn't long before one of the waitresses noticed him sitting there and approached him. "What can I get for you?" She asked. She held an empty tray under her arm and her hair was tied back in a high ponytail. The blue dress she wore as the diner's uniform was extremely simple with buttons down the front and a white apron tied around her waist and yet he couldn't deny she was beautiful.

He must have stared too long because tilted her head and repeated the question to him. "Sorry." He said, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm looking for work and I was told to ask for Mina."

The woman- Padme, according to her nametag- nodded, "Mina doesn't come in for another hour or so. She doesn't open on Thursdays. You're welcome to wait."

"I see."

"Can I get you something for while you wait? Coffee maybe?"

He shakes his head, "No, just some water would be fine." She smiled at him and left to get the water.

"You're not from around here, are you?" She asked as she poured him a glass.

"No."

"What brings you here then?"

He gives a shrug, "Just a stop on the way."

"On the way to where?"

He gives another shrug, "Don't know." He said honestly.

Padme looked up at the rest of the diner and there still wasn't much going on at the moment so she took the stool next to him. "How can you not know where you're going?"

"I just drive. When I see a sign for a place I want to see, or something that sounds cool, I go for it."

She raised a brow at him, "And what attracted you here?"

He scratched the back of his neck, "The sign that said 'gas next exit.'" They both laughed and he decided he loved the sound, "I'm Anakin." He said, holding his hand to her.

"Padme." She said, shaking his hand.

[][][][]

They talked the entire time it took for Mina to arrive. Anakin thought it was weird how quickly he found he could trust this woman, telling her about some of the places he's been to, including Chicago and Aspin, Colorado- the latter being the reason he was in his current situation to begin with. "I swear I've only been that impulsive once before." He defended as he explained how he had wasted most of his money on renting skis and trying his hand at the sport but had quickly learned that he was not good with snow. "And that time I bought a limited edition model of the 1969 Dodge Charger they used in Dukes of Hazzard." He said, making her laugh in the process.

"I take it that's your favorite show then."

He nodded enthusiastically, "When I was a kid, Kitster and I used to watch reruns all the time." He said, taking a sip of his water, "What about you?" He asked.

"What about me?"

He gave a shrug, "This town. What brings you here?"

Padme smiled and looked down at the counter, "I'm from here." She explained, "Born and raised. Never been farther than the lake."

Anakin's eyes went wide, "Never?"

"Never." She said. Pausing a moment as if pondering how much she should tell him. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to say anymore, they did only just meet and it wouldn't be surprising if she decided to change topics, "I have thought about it." She said, "Leaving. I have a scrapbook of places I want to see and things I want to do…"

"Like what?" He asked.

Padme looked up and smiled, "I always wanted to go to Europe. I tried to learn French on my own, but that didn't really go as planed." She said with a laugh, "I also um…" She paused a moment and fidgeted with her hands, "On my days off I help with the youth group in town. We do charity work; fundraisers and soup drives that we give to this group who takes it to the cities where they are needed most… I always wanted to do more."

He listens intently to what she says and he is impressed with her compassion. "But?" He asks, trying to figure out what is stopping her.

She shakes her head, "It's silly. It's just a dream."

"It's only a dream until you do something about it." He told her with a smile. Padme looks startled by his words, but he knows he's right. As a boy, he had always dreamed of seeing the world, and while so far he has only gone as far as Mexico, he knows he is on the right track. His eyes meet hers and they both fell silent, though it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was actually… nice. He isn't sure how long he stared but it was long enough for Mina to finally show up. Padme quickly jumped to her feet and called the woman over. Anakin stood as she introduced him to her before excusing herself and returning to work.

Mina was a tall woman with short brown hair and dressed in a pantsuit rather than the diner uniform. "You were looking for me?" she asked.

"Bibble told me you might have some work." Anakin said, "I just need enough pay to get me to a city."

She smiled and nodded, "My son Lux runs deliveries but he's been slacking off recently. It pays minimum but you get to keep tips when you get them. I imagine working through the weekend should be enough to get you the money you need."

"I'll take what I can get." He said.

"Be here at five then."

[][][][]

The sharp buzz of his phone woke him the next morning. Anakin groaned as he rubbed the back of his sore neck and stretched his muscles as best he could before sitting up. The clock on his phone read 4:45AM, and while fifteen minutes might not seem like much time to get ready for work, it was all the time he needed to brush his teeth and eat a Slim Jim for breakfast. When he was done, he drove down the street to park in front of the diner. Mina had already laid out several take out bags, each with a ticket and address stapled to them. The job didn't need an explanation and compared to some of the odd jobs he had done in the past, this ranked among the simplest. She handed him a small wad of cash for gas before helping him load up his car with the food. Anakin glanced at each address and organized them in the back seat to make the job easier. By the time he was loaded up, he saw Padme and another woman enter the diner. Their eyes met for a moment and she smiled politely at him before turning away and going to work. Glancing at his watch, he decided that he too should get started as well.

He had not had much of an opportunity to look at the town much before. Yesterday he had walked around for a little bit but overall the town was much smaller than he was used to but there was not much for him to do, though he did find the view of the lake to be very nice and relaxing.

Looking at the first ticket, he found the small bookstore easily with its giant novelty book sign hanging just above the canopy. The owner was an older woman who smelled like an old book mixed with a flower. She was grateful that he was doing Lux's deliveries for the time being, claiming that Mina's food was the best she had ever had in all her years. Anakin listened to her politely and after talking for five minutes, he excused himself, telling her he had other deliveries to make. The woman tipped nicely and that made the conversation worth the wait. Jumping back in his car, he checks for the next address and speeds off in search of the medical clinic where he has to deliver the food to a patient.

The rest of the day and the day after went more or less the same and Anakin had been surprised how generous most of the people seemed to be with tips. Delivery jobs normally got maybe $5 tips. But here more people gave him $10 tips. It might not seem like much to most people, but to him it is everything. Every penny gets him a few feet more and keeps the trip going. Pulling back up to the diner, he figures it is about time he has that hot meal he's been craving now that he can afford to and after doing deliveries tomorrow, he'll be able to fill up his car and be on his way. He smiles as he thinks about maybe going down to California, or maybe up to Vancouver. Or both if he feels like it.

The diner looks to be finishing up with the lunch rush as he takes a seat at the counter once more. Padme noticed his arrival and he smiled at her when she came over. "Hey, I haven't seen you since you first walked into town." She said, returning his smile.

"Yeah, sorry. I've been a little busy." He said.

"I'll bet. So what can I get for you?"

Anakin glanced at the menu, "Well, I've been running this food around in my car for two days now and I'm curious to see if it tastes as good as my car smells now." Padme laughs at his words, but they are no less true. His car smells so much like warm comfort food, he lies awake half the night with his stomach rumbling for a bite. Anakin flips to the page with the burgers and his stomach responds with a rumble of agreement as he picks the biggest one listed. "I'll take the 3AM burger, medium rare, the egg cooked over-easy with lettuce, tomato, union and extra bacon. And I'll take a coke."

"I take it you're hungry." She said as she scribbled his order on her pad.

"Only a little." He said with a shrug, prompting a small laugh from her before she turned to go and place the order. She returned a moment later with his drink before hurrying to another table. Anakin watches her as she moves to bus a table, clearing away the dirty plates and wiping the crumbs into the bin. The bell at the pass-through rang and Padme returned the bus bin, wiping her hands on her apron before loading the food on a tray and balances it on her shoulder and making her way over to a table in the back. Anakin looked away from her, not wanting to seem creepy with his staring.

His meal arrived quickly and if he didn't want to celebrate the first decent meal in weeks, he would have probably wolfed it down just as fast. Instead he ate slowly, savoring the warmth and the flavor as it danced in his mouth. The food was good- very good but that might be because he hasn't eaten like this in a while. He pushes the plate away from him after he is done cleaning the plate and rests his arms on the counter. Padme takes the empty plate away and only then does he realize the diner has slowed down, having only a couple of the booths still occupied but the other two waitresses were seated at a table near the back, chatting quietly amongst themselves. "I hope I haven't kept you too busy." He says when she comes back.

Padme smiles at him and shakes her head, "Not at all. This place starts to slow down after 6 anyway. And we end up getting stuck here until nine or ten some nights with maybe one or two tables." She said, taking the seat next to him, "It's not really that bad. Everyone knows everyone here, it just gets a little boring."

"I know what that's like." He said, reaching for his coke and taking a drink of it.

"How long are you staying?"

"Tired of me already?"

She laughed and shook her head, "No, just curious."

Anakin smiled at her, "I'm leaving tomorrow after I get paid." He said.

"And then where?"

He gives a shrug, "Don't know."

Padme shook her head once more, "I don't know how you can live like that."

"Like what?" His brow furrowed in confusion at her.

"Without direction. No plan, no goal; but still moving."

Anakin laughed, "I do so have a direction."

"And what is that?"

His face goes serious, "Live without regrets." He said. His gaze fell to the counter, "Life is short and once you get to a certain point, it gets cruel. I want to live before that happens. I want to have a story worth telling so that when I look back, I can feel… fulfilled- that my life wasn't just ordinary." He meets her eyes and smiles, "Plans can get you from A to Z, but you miss everything else in between- and that is the fun part." He can tell she is impressed from the way she looks at him. "Come with me."

"What?"

He hadn't even realized he asked until her eyes went wide at what he said. He knows she wants to get out of this town. He knows there are things she wants to do. But the way he lives is far from ideal. She only knows a small bit of his lifestyle and he has just asked her to join him. "I mean…" He pauses, lifting his arm to scratch the back of his neck nervously, "I mean, the way I live isn't really…- I sleep in my car most nights, and live off bags of snacks and fast food. But I mean… I-I can go anywhere- California, Canada, New York… I know I probably make it sound amazing- and it is- but it isn't exactly easy… and we only just met, so I completely understand if you don't want to…" His voice trails off, well aware he is rambling.

Padme sits and stares next to him, she had been silent the entire time, "I…" She starts, "I-I can't." She said. "I can't just… leave. My family is here, my life is here…"

He can see the war in her eyes as she fights to rationalize his offer, "You could leave." He said, "You just have to want to, and find the will to do it." She is silent, unsure how to respond. Anakin pulls a wad of crumpled bills from his pocket, and hands it to her, "Keep the change." He said, smiling at her as he gets up from his seat and leaves.

[][][][]

Anakin yawns loudly as he finishes the delivery route. Being a Sunday, there weren't too many deliveries to be made and he was done by late afternoon. He pulls up to the diner and walks up the steps one last time to collect his pay from Mina. He smiles at her and she offers him another week of work, but he declines. It's a nice town, but he was excited to get moving. She understands and is nice enough to give him a little extra cash. He thanks her and leaves the diner, happy to have a little more cash in his pocket than expected. He drives down the block to fill up on gas and as he finishes paying, he sees her.

Padme is walking quickly towards the diner pulling a suitcase behind her. She leaves it at the bottom of the stairs as she goes inside. It takes her only a minute to reappear, looking both ways down the street. Anakin climbs back in his car and drives back to the front of the diner. She is out of breath when he pulls up and she looks relieved to see him.

"I want to go with you." She said as he rolled down the window.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Padme nodded, "Yes. If I don't do this now, I never will… and I don't want to live with that regret."

He smiled at her as he unlocked the doors, "Hop in."