Choices by GoldenLyre

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Star Wars is purely the brainchild of the brilliant George Lucas. I'm just borrowing and editing ;)

Anakin Skywalker watched his wife with adoration as she brushed out her hair on the balcony of their penthouse suite. The bright city lights had cast a halo-like glow around the crown of curls around her head. Anakin wordlessly continued to watch her graceful movements with adoration while leaning against the cool steel doorway. The blissful silence was broken when Padmẻ addressed him.

"Ani, I want to have our baby back on Naboo… We can go to the lake country where no one will know, where we can safe. I can go there early and fix up the baby's room – I know the perfect spot, right by the gardens…"

Anakin smiled at her while she was speaking, simply revelling in the quiet chime of her voice. Without really thinking he simply murmured, not really meaning to say so out loud, "You're so beautiful…"

Padmẻ turned to her husband in mild surprise with a smile. She replied playfully, "Only because I'm so in love…" Her husband's smile grew and he let out a light laugh. He shook his head and retorted with equal fervor, "No, no… That's because I'm so in love with you."

Padmẻ's surprise grew and it showed on her face. "So love has blinded you?"

Anakin laughed again, "No, that's not exactly what I meant…" He looked down and wrung his remaining hand with his robotic one. She loves me despite it… Anakin thought wryly. He looked back at his beloved wife only to see a cheeky smile on her face. She said with her previous playfulness, "But it's probably true…"

He opened his arms to her invitingly. Suddenly coy, she walked steadily to him, into his embrace. He kissed her forehead softly and whispered, "Let's go to bed, hmm?" Padmẻ smiled into his heavy cotton shirt and nodded wordlessly.

Hand in hand, they walked into their bed chamber. After Anakin had stripped off his heavy Jedi attire, they both settled into the comfortable luxury of the thick, inviting duvet on their bed. Before long, both drifted off to sleep in each other's embrace.

Sweat laced Anakin's bare torso as he saw Padmẻ screaming his name in his mind's eye, frightfully vividly. Anakin had his eyes shut tightly, trying his hardest to shut the image out. Unable to take it anymore, he snapped his eyes open, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. He looked to his right side urgently, praying that Padmẻ was still there.

She was.

With a heavy sigh, he sat up and put his hands to his face, wiping away the moisture that clung to his skin. His thoughts in a state of disarray, he stood up and put on his dark Jedi robe and walked out quietly so as not to disturb his sleeping wife.

However, Padmẻ had been awake for as long as she felt her husband's discomfort. When she felt the bed shift as the mattress was relieved of Anakin's weight, she turned around to see him walking out to the roof. A frowned marred her features as she followed after him.

She found him sitting on one of the benches quietly, with a rather disconcerting frown on his face, as though he had just been crying. She placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn to her. A shaky smile was placed on his features, as if it were there only for her sake.

Padmẻ remained worried about him and asked, "Ani… Ani, what's wrong?"

He replied quietly, "Nothing…" He attempted to change the subject by stroking the wooden pendant he gave her years ago. He murmured reminiscently, "I remember when I gave this to you…"

However, his wife knew him all too well…

She gave him a funny look and said, "Ani… How long is it going to be before we're honest with each other?" He felt her small hand rub his back comfortingly. He let out a sigh before he answered her.

"It was a dream," his voice barely a whisper.

"… Was it bad?"

"It was like the ones I used to have… About my mother… Just before she died…" A brief silence shrouded over them before Padmẻ broke it, encouraging her husband to continue.

"And?" She implored quietly.

He turned to her sharply, fright and worry evident in his gaze. "And it was about you." He stood and walked to the balcony, overlooking the bright city. He gazed at the cosmopolitan setting around him and continued. "You die in childbirth…"

Padmẻ now understood his worry and was quickly at his side. She asked worriedly, "And the baby?" Anakin shook his head in despair and replied, "I don't know…"

Padmẻ remained quiet at this and walked to her husband, telling him without words that she was there for him. She ran her arm up and down his and whispered comfortingly, "It was only a dream…" As soon as that sentence was said she felt Anakin's desperate grasp on her arms.

He stooped down so that he met her eye and said determinedly, "I won't let this one become real." She met his eyes with a determination to rival his own and told him, mutual worry growing evident with each sentence, "This baby will change our lives… And I doubt the Queen will continue to allow me to serve in the Senate… And if the Council finds out that you're the father they'd expel you…!"

Now it was Anakin's turn to calm his panicking wife. He calmed her down and allowed her to continue. She asked with wide eyes, "Do you think… Obi Wan will be able to help us?" He looked at her uncertainly.

It was true that he trusted Obi Wan more than anyone on the Council, and it would be a good idea for him to inform him of his nightmares. The possibility of his Master helping him to decipher his nagging nightmares spoke volumes to Anakin.

He nodded slightly and told Padmẻ softly, "I will in the morning, alright?" She smiled at him gratefully and leaned into his strong frame. His arms went around her in a warm embrace. He kissed her temple softly and hoped with all his heart that Obi Wan would be able to help him.

It was going to be a long day tomorrow…

A/n: Happy, Mel? Read, enjoy, then review! Thanks heaps ;)