Title: STAR WARS: Episode 3 AU: Walk a Mile


One-Shot idea I came up with. May add more chapters eventually, but just something I wanted to post.


Sleep was something that rarely came to him. It was usually interrupted by dreams. Images of strange events that, from his experience seemed to manifest one way or another.

So it felt almost...unreal, that he'd had a good night's rest. Something that felt as alien to him as say, understanding politics. No nightmares, no dreams of Padme...Simply put, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a dreamless sleep. He simply lay there for several more moments then took a few deep breaths, not yet forcing himself to rise from the bed. The feeling was euphoric.

Slowly, he opened his eyes, allowing slivers of light to reach towards him through the window.

He was awake, but he still lay prone, taking some small comfort from the mattress' embrace. He turned his head towards his left. He'd expected his wife, but the spot was empty. The concept of her awakening before him struck him as odd as he slowly sat up in the bed, stretching his arms.

"Sleep well?"

He recognized it as Padme's soothing voice and he turned instead to his right this time.

Anakin blinked, having to process what he was seeing.

His wife was already dressed, seated next to the bed on a chair but that's not what left him bewildered. She wore a dark tunic that looked a lot like Jedi attire with matching boots. And was that a lightsaber clipped to her belt? He instinctively knew it wasn't his uniform because it fit her just right. There was no way he'd be able to wear that. Demanding questions were on the tip of his tongue, to ask about why she was wearing Jedi clothing and what is this, but his planned inquiries died in his throat at the look on her face. She hadn't yet looked at him, but she could see bags under her eyes which were half lidded, as if she hadn't gotten enough sleep. Her hands were clasped together and she seemed to be idly watching the Coruscanti traffic through the window behind him.

"Are you alright?" he settled on asking. He'd figured he'd find out about the strange sight of Padme wearing Jedi clothes soon enough anyway.

His wife seemed to wince at his choice of words, glancing briefly at him before pointedly returning gaze to the window.

"Nothing. I just had a dream."

Why did this sound so familiar?

Anakin wanted to ask if this was some kind of a joke, but the downcast expression on Padme's face, the tiredness, he doubted that could be faked.

Casually, he moved from his prone position so that he'd be seated parallel to Padme.

Swallowing nervously, Anakin cleared his throat. "What was it about?" he asked. This morning had gotten strange the moment he'd seen Padme and he had a faint but incredulous idea of what she might say.

"I..." Padme seemed conflicted on whether to reveal what she'd seen, but she noticed Anakin's intent expression. "I dreamed of you dying. You were struggling to breathe and," Padme paused and sniffed, breaking eye contact with him. "You looked so terribly hurt."

Anakin frowned, looking off to the side in an attempt to gather his thoughts. Usually, he did not like meditation, but he did usually reach out to the force for guidance.

He furrowed his brow. The Force seemed to be oddly...silent. There was no other word he could think of to describe it. He refocused his sight on Padme, who still looked extremely miserable. Knowing nothing else to do, he shifted over to her, hugging her from behind.

"It's alright, I'll be fine," he assured her, although he did not feel the same. More and more questions were stacking over each other in his mind. What was going on? Why was Padme clothed like a Jedi? Why was the Force not answering him?

"It's not alright," Padme disagreed, holding onto Anakin's hand almost possessively and breaking his concentration. He belatedly realized one of her hands was gloved. His eyes looked at his own.

They were both flesh and blood.

Did that mean?

This whole situation did not sit right with him. Before he could say anything else, the distinct sound of a comlink sounded somewhere on Padme's tunic.

She sighed, gently removing Anakin's arms from around her and stood up. "I have to go," she said almost apologetically.

"Where are you going," Anakin idly asked, although he feared he might already know the answer.

"Most likely a mission," Padme shrugged. "Obi-Wan will probably chew me out if i'm late." She pecked him on the cheek and headed towards the door. Anakin was starnig at the floor, a million thoughts running through his head.

"Will you be at the Senate?"

It took a second for Anakin to realize that he wasn't the on who asked that question. It was Padme.

What?

"I-I'll have to check," he said quickly, unsure how to even properly respond to such a question. Padme nodded and stepped through the door.

Once Padme was gone, Anakin held his head in his hand.

At this point, only one question burned through his mind.

"What in Sith hell is going on?"