Going Under

By Serena Kenobi

Author's note: Thanks for all the feedback!

Disclaimer: Don't own Star Wars, never will.

Part I, Chapter VI

Previously in 'Going Under'

But suddenly, a door opened to her right, and Padme instantly whisked around at the noise. What met her eyes shocked her completely.

It none other than her husband… but without the suit on. He looked as nearly as young as he had been when he was twenty-three: light brown hair that fell just to his shoulders, stormy blue eyes, and a well-built, handsome body. The only thing that was different was his left arm – it did not look like a droid arm anymore. It was covered by clean skin.

Right now, he was dripping wet, and a towel was around his lower torso. He had another towel and had been in the process of drying his hair, when he stopped, dead still, and stared in stunned silence at Padmé.

Padmé couldn't speak for the longest time, and neither could he.

"Um…" she began, not having a clue about what to say.

"Padmé?" he frowned, slowly taking the towel down from his hair.

"Excuse me," she blurted out suddenly, and started to run out the door.

A strong hand quickly shot out and grabbed her upper arm, yanking her back into the room. She cried out as he slammed the door shut and locked it, a stern look on his handsome face as he pinned her against the door.

"Do you want your parents to know what you've been up to?" he demanded, the question astonishing her.

"What do you care?" she hissed in return, her strength quickly coming back.

He paused. "What are you doing in the inner systems? I would've thought you would be hiding in the outer rim."

"I don't feel like telling you," she retorted sullenly. "You shouldn't even be here."

Anakin snorted, turning around and pacing the room. "I don't get it, Padmé," he said, irritated, "Why don't you just talk to me?"

"I'll talk to you when you feel like letting me stay with you of my own free will," Padmé answered angrily, folding her arms over her chest.

He studied her, and she slowly took off the helmet, glaring at him, daring him to say something else. "Fine," he eventually said, "Let's say that I will allow you to leave again. Will you tell me why you chose to lie to me about dying?"

Padmé took a seat in a chair nearby. "I had to cover up my death so you wouldn't find me," she frostily told him. "You weren't the man I fell in love with; you were a cruel Sith Lord who choked me and nearly killed me and my children."

"I told you before, Padmé, I didn't mean to hurt you– "

"That's a load of bloody crap!" she furiously shouted at him, throwing her helmet to the ground and silencing him. She glared at him, chest heaving, and then abruptly snatched her helmet and got up.

Anakin, equally irritated, said through clenched teeth, "Where are you going now?"

"It doesn't matter," she answered cryptically. As she turned around, she halted and looked back. "I see you got yourself all healed again. But you know, outward appearances don't fool me a bit, Vader." Padmé put the helmet back on and rushed out of the room, Anakin glaring daggers after her.

Eyes glowing, Vader yelled in fury and Force threw a lamp across the room, not bothering to pick up its shattered pieces.

Padmé ran as fast as she could through the palace halls, just trying to get away from Vader. It was clear now that she could not help him. He was a completely different person than the one she had married all those years ago. But what was he doing in Naboo right now?

Then it hit her. He was looking, everywhere apparently, for any trace of her.

Well, it appeared that he'd found her. Or she him.

After racing through the palace, she noticed a door that had a number on it. She checked her map and realized that this was the Imperial Captain's quarters. Smirking, she quickly pushed herself up against a wall and made sure any security holograms were not there.

Clear.

She drew out her blaster, set it for stun, and quickly opened the door. Luckily for her, it was unlocked. She slinked through the different rooms, checking each to make sure that the captain was not there.

Finally, in the bedroom, she found him already asleep, snoring loudly. Padmé grinned and pointed her gun at him. It would be much easier now that he would not put up a fight. Padmé pulled the trigger and watched as the captain slumped slightly, now fully unconscious.

Padmé sighed, shook her head, and dragged him out of bed, grabbing nearby datapads and stuffing them in her belt. She lowered his body out the window and quickly leapt down after him, pulling the rope down after her. She hurriedly pulled the captain to where her speeder was hidden, and turned to pick up his body… when she found that it was incredibly lighter than it had been before. She frowned and slowly let her arms rest.

The body was resting in mid air.

Why that… Padmé inwardly fumed, clenching her fists.

"Going somewhere, Padmé?" her husband's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

Padmé whisked around to see her husband – no – smirking husband standing there, clad in all black. His lightsaber hung at his belt, but she knew it was only for precaution. "What are you still doing here?" she snapped, pushing the captain's body into the speeder.

Anakin let the body drop, still smirking. "Stopping my bounty hunter wife from breaking the law and kidnapping one of my captains, it looks like," he answered, slowly making his way towards her.

"You won't stop me," she firmly stated.

"Oh really?" he sneered.

Padmé fingered her blaster cautiously. "If I have to, I will hurt you," she continued.

Anakin now stood directly in front of her. "Oh, I don't think you will," he answered softly, bringing up a hand and slowly trailing it down her arm.

Her strength was now waning slightly. "Yes, I will." She knew that she sounded weaker than before.

"No, you won't," he whispered, taking off her helmet and letting it drop to the ground.

Padmé glared at him. "Stop it, Vader," she ordered, straightening up, trying to reign in her now thundering emotions.

It didn't work.

"I don't think you want me to," Anakin kissed her forehead slowly, and she sharply drew in a breath.

"Yes, I…" her words were abruptly cut off by Anakin covering her mouth with his, smashing his lips onto hers. Padmé's heart rate began to rise double its normal rate as she felt Anakin bring his hands down to her hips. The kiss seemed to last forever, but at the last second, Padmé remembered whom exactly she was kissing.

"No!" she pulled back, covering her lips and taking a few staggering steps backward.

Anakin stared at her, confused and a little dazed. "What?"

"I can't do this," she hoarsely whispered, "I can't do it, Anakin. Vader." She looked up at him, tears beginning to form in her large brown eyes. "I just can't."

"Why not?" Anakin demanded, regaining his composure. "I'm your husband and you're my wife – it's perfectly normal for us to be kissing."

"But it is normal for you to force me to live with you?" Padmé shot back. "Is it normal for you to try and bring your own son to the Dark side? To capture and torture your daughter?"

Anakin, angry at his incapability to give her an answer, brought up his hand. "Don't change the subject, Padmé."

"Changing the subject? Since when did I change the subject?" she asked furiously. "You know what? I thought I could change you, I really did. But now I realize, after all the times we've run into each other, you're not going to change." She strode past him and climbed into her speeder. "Go ahead, try and stop me," she spat, putting her helmet on once again. "Kill me. I'd like to see you try it." Before he could respond, she zoomed away into the darkness of the night.

Vader's eyes, however, were no longer angry; instead, they were filled with hurt, frustration, and longing. Maybe… maybe Padmé was right. Maybe he had changed – for the worst.

That didn't matter right now. He had to find her, one way or another.

Vader swiftly stormed away, pulling his hood low over his eyes.

Once Padmé had delivered the Imperial to her employer, she went back to Coronet City to pick up the rest of her things before she completely left the planet.

It was a hard day for her as she stared at the empty apartment. It had been her home for so long, she was honestly scared to live anywhere else permanently. She angrily slapped away the tears and picked up the last box, closing the door behind her and Geenine, who whistled mournfully.

"I'm fine," Padmé replied falsely. "I just need some air."

Geenine beeped angrily, telling her that she had a right to be sad.

Padmé laughed through her tears. "Thanks, but I'll be okay. Don't worry; we'll get through this. We always will."

Part II comes next, and that will be the last part, I think. Don't forget to R&R!