A/N: fair warning, this chapter's basically all lovey-dovey romantic mush. Thanks YBRHorse and Guest for reviewing again! Here comes the bad news. This story has about a thousand hits and only four reviews. You guys don't review, I won't update. Simple as that. I don't care if it makes me look like an a-hole. So again, YBR Horse and Guest, thanks for stepping up. Onto the chapter.

Chapter Six

To Be With You

Two destroyed ships lay side by side in the industrial area of the city and passengers disembarked.

Padmé carried her bags out. Once her feet landed on the duracreet pavement she let the bags fall.

Anakin was standing a few feet away, perfectly healthy and alive, smiling as if he didn't almost die. Tears spilled over her lashes and splashed onto her cheeks. All sense of propriety seemed to vanish and she crashed into his arms.

He was stunned for a moment, then his arms closed around her hesitantly.

She rejoiced at the beat of his heart against her cheek. "You're okay." Her voice cracked.

He stroked her curls and laid his cheek upon her head, closing his eyes. "Padmé." He whispered, rocking her in his arms comfortingly.

"Don't you ever do that again." She said.

He cupped her face in his hands and gazed down at her. "That has been my life almost every day for ten years."

"As a padawan?"

"Of course. But I'm the Chosen One, remember? Nothing can hurt me."

She took his hands and feathered kisses onto each gracefully long finger, her tears spilling onto them.

He wanted to wipe away her tears, make her stop crying. But most of all he wanted to kiss her. he had never wanted to kiss her more than he did now.

There were so many witnesses. Obi-wan was nearby. But they both just survived certain death. The council never approved of him anyway and they probably never would.

He held her chin and brought her face up to his so he could look into her eyes.

'Stop it." He said softly, wiping away her tears. "Stop."

Her eyes were downcast, long, dark lashes fanning out over creamy skin.

"Look at me." His voice was soft. "Look at me."

She looked up at him, her eyes locking with his and she seemed to calm.

Gods, she looked so beautiful. Her make-up was washed away, eyes glimmering with tears like sunlit amber. He didn't think. He just covered her mouth with his.

He fully expected her to pull away and yell at him, but she relaxed against him. Her arms wound around his neck, fingers digging themselves into his hair. His hands settled on her waist, then sprawled out onto her back. He moved his lips across her slowly, gentle little caresses until she sighed and opened her mouth. His tongue skimmed over her bottom lip and past her teeth, their kiss feverish and hot.

When his heart hammered behind his ribs and the light-headed feeling threatened to take over, Anakin finally pulled away. Padmé looked up at him, lips red and swollen, cheeks pink, and eyes half-lidded.

Her voice was barely even a whisper. "Ani…"

He wanted to tell her he loved her. Gods, did he love her. But she was frightened. Padmé always looked brave but when he looked into her eyes, when he felt her presence in the force, all he saw was fear.

She felt no fear when people tried to kill her. No, it was in her personal life that she felt the most fear.

And he knew that. So instead of telling her just how much he loved her, he kissed her forehead tenderly. He held her tightly against himself and laid his cheek atop her head.

He knew that someday he would need to tell her he loved her. And he knew that he would need her to tell him she loved him too. But today was not that day and their kiss was more than enough.

The city's law enforcement officers were quick to report to the scene. People were flown out to various locations.

Padmé's would-be assassin was restrained.

Obi-wan and Anakin stood before her.

"Who hired you?" Obi-wan asked.

"It was just a job." She said in exhaustion.

Anakin attempted, trying to break through the walls of her mind with the force.

"Who hired you? Tell us."

She looked at him hatefully. She said nothing.

Anakin smiled, his lips curling not with humor but immense anger. He looked away and laughed. When he looked back at her his eyes seemed on fire with rage, teeth clenched and brows furrowed.

"Tell us now!" He roared.

Obi-wan was startled, stepping back slightly.

For the first time the assassin looked genuinely frightened. She looked up at Anakin with fear and went to answer. The poison dart whistled as it cut through the wind, lodging itself in her carotid artery. Her eyes widened, blood gushed from her nostrils, her mouth, her eyes. She collapsed.

Obi-wan looked up in time to see a figure in Mandalorian armor. The figure ran as soon as it was seen.

There was no time to think. Obi-wan and Anakin ran after it. Anakin was gaining on the mysterious figure when he turned, a club of some sort in his hand. Anakin reached for his light-saber, but the killer was too quick. He swung his club, striking Anakin on the head.

The world blurred and blackened and he could feel the duracreet of the city rise up to meet him. Everything stopped

When Anakin's eyes opened, the bright fluorescent lighting of the med-center hurt. He winced and when his vision adjusted itself from blurry blobs of color to actual objects he could see that Padmé was looking down at him.

Her eyes were sad, almost mournful. She smiled gently. "You're okay."

He sat up gingerly. "It was just a bump on the head." He touched the stricken area hesitantly. His face twisted in pain as soon as he did so.

"There's a lot of bruising." Padmé said. "The doctors think you have a concussion. They want you to stay the night for observation."

"What about the mission?"

"Forget the mission, Anakin. You cheated death twice today. I don't think you should try a third time. You won't be so lucky."

"Don't be so sure." He argued, grinning.

She was silent, her eyes distant.

"What's wrong? You look so sad?"

She didn't speak for some time and when she grasped for the words her voice was soft.

"You're special, Ani. I think you know that. I think the people you meet know that too."

He looked at her quietly.

"You mean a lot to me. More than anyone I've ever known and probably will know. You're my best friend."

His gaze was soft, eyes falling into hers. "I love you."

She didn't speak. He knew she wasn't ready to say those three words. And she wasn't.

But he felt no fear from her anymore.

She sat down beside him, the bed sinking slightly. Her hands were on his. She brought one up to her face, his palm pressed against her cheek. She looked moments away from crying. Her face turned and she pressed a kiss against his palm.

"I'm going to lose you." She whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can feel it in my heart."

"That's ridiculous, Padmé. I'm right here and always will be."

"The Gods always take the good ones first. My mother always used to tell me. And I feel that when I look at you."

"You're being so dramatic right now." He smiled. "I feel like laughing at you."

She smiled back. "Maybe I am being a little silly."

"You're being absolutely ridiculous. I always thought you were the rationale one out of the two of us. I guess not."

Her eyes lit up playfully. "Hey!"

"I'm kidding."

"I know."

He touched her face.

She smiled.

There was nothing in the world he loved as much as making her smile. No battle victory, fencing match, or Jedi talent could never match the feeling he would get inside when she smiled because of something he did.

Well of course there was one thing that he would love more than to see her smile.

He often wondered what it would be like to make love to her, how it must feel to be inside her.

How soft her skin would be underneath his and how quickly her heart would beat against his own.

He wondered how long he would kiss her in the afterglow before she finally drifted off into sleep.

She touched his brows, tracing a line down to his temples and then over his closed eyelids. He felt her kiss over his eyes and his lips parted in a sigh.

Her hand delved underneath his leather tabards until only his thin tunic remained. She opened up her hand, fingers sprawled out over the feverish beating of his heart.

He covered her hand with his, moaning softly.

And then she kissed him. A sweet, gentle kiss.

She kissed the edge of his mouth and then his cheek, his jaw-line, down his neck.

"Padmé…"

She stopped, melting into him. Her cheek pressed against his and he rubbed her back lovingly.

"Lie with me." He pleaded, whispering.

"Anakin…" Her voice was cautious.

"I won't touch you…like that. I promise."

"Obi-wan will be here to check up on you."

"I don't care if he sees. I love you, Padmé."

"I don't think I could ever jeopardize my career for you. You would do that for me?"

"Yes."

She was moved by his confession. He wasn't even twenty. Young men did not love women. They loved sleeping with them, but they did not love women themselves.

She saw that in his eyes when he looked at her, that sort of desire. But she also saw devotion and love.

She conceded. "Alright."

When he lay back down on his bed, she did as well. Her arm draped over his waist, her cheek on his chest.

The feeling was indescribable, feeling the line of her body against his. He buried his hands in her hair, fingers brushing though her curls.

"Do you think you'll marry someday?"

She was slightly alarmed by the question. There was nothing she wanted more. But with him? It was forbidden. And she didn't know that she even loved him.

'I don't know, Ani."

"Do you want to?"

"Yes. More than anything. I want a house by the meadows. And lots of children."

"You'd be an amazing mother."

She wanted to argue with him. Tell him she would never marry him. That she would never have his children. But she couldn't.

She knew it would be a lie.

She knew she wanted all of that when he opened his blue eyes moments ago.

It was silly and incredibly stupid to feel the way she did. Four days together and already she loved him.

She had fallen in love before and she knew she would fall in love again. He would be a passing dream. Perfect, but temporary.

She had meant what she said. Anakin was special. He had the sun inside him. When he held her and kissed her, when he looked into her eyes she felt his sun warm every part of her. Her whole body hummed with his heat,

Light breaking through the clouds, the yellowed grasses of winter like jewels, wildflowers rising from the ground like the beating of her heart. Everything dead was suddenly alive when they were together.

But she knew that he would die in a battle, that his gifts would not save him every time. And she would not cry for herself, for what she would lose. She would cry for the pain she knew he would feel in his heart as he died. Not physical pain. No.

She would cry knowing that all he would be thinking was that he could never touch her again. Could never kiss her or wrap his arms around her. That he could never tell her he loved her.

The horrified look in his blue eyes as he would finally fall.

And he would fall. He'd fall.

And how she would miss him.

How she would go blind with grief, falling to pieces like a forgotten children's toy.

How she would ache for him.