It was a cloudy, but warm day when Senator Amidala approached the staircase to the Jedi temple.
It was still early, the shops in the district only opening their doors and putting their decorations outside. It promised to be a pleasant day.
Anakin and his Padawan were already waiting for her; the Padawan leaning from one foot to the other, tapping her fingers to some unknown rhythm on her hip, always moving, seeming to start vibrating whenever she was still for a moment.
When she caught sight of the approaching friend she called out. "Senator Amidala. It is good to see you!"
Amidala laughed when Ahsoka greeted her with her old enthusiasm.
"Good morning Ahsoka." She replied with an open, warm smile and restricted herself to give Ahsoka's shoulder a gentle squeeze instead of throwing her arms around the young girl and her master.
This day was all about the young woman, which waited on the temple steps with shining eyes and an eager expression.
Anakin saw the look in his Padawan's eyes and gave a theatrical sigh. "Shall we?" He asked as he offered Padme his arm. She accepted and took hold as he led her towards her parked speeder.
Ahsoka bounced down the paved walk, overtaking them at their leisurely pace and reached for the door.
Anakin grinned. "Not so fast Padawan!" He stopped her. "Remember etiquette." He teased her slightly as she stepped back and waited for her master to open the door with flourish.
"Ladies first." Anakin helped Padme and Ahsoka inside before closing the speeder gently.
He settled himself in the pilot's seat, pushing it backwards to accommodate his long legs. Padme had flown here herself.
He smiled as the engine purred during takeoff.
"A marvellous machine you have here Amidala." He remarked.
It was a good quality engine. His wonderful Padme had knowledge about more than politics, if that wasn't enough of a challenge in itself.
"Thank you Anakin, I needed something a bit smaller for Coruscant." She opened a small cooler and took out two Sweet Pinks, a popular drink, for Ahsoka and herself. "Would you like something as well?"
"No thank you, I would rather have both of my hands on the control right now."
Nothing would bother them during this day. He was sure of it.
Master Unduli herself had noted the favourable outcome of a change of scenery as the results had yet to come back.
Anakin tensed at the thought that the message about further treatment could come to his terminal in the temple at this given moment and he might not be there to read it. He shook his head and yanked the glider into a sharp left curve, which caused Ahsoka to giggle as she nearly spilled her Sweet Pink.
The results would be the same, wether they read them now or this evening or tomorrow, if they came today at all.
He was forced to reduce speed as they entered the thicker traffic of the shopping district.
Padme leaned forward and laid a warm hand on his shoulder.
"Take the next turn left please. The Gala has some parking places reserved for their guests."
The speeder landed with all the grace Anakin had, the sticky rests of the artificially coloured rink barely moved.
As Anakin held the door open for Padme and Ahsoka he noted that the parking places were tastefully decorated with flowers. Perhaps it was better that he had not told the Master Unduli about the details of their trip. This was more splendour than a Jedi should have and he was reasonably certain that the dresses on display were just as expensive and unique as the outside of the shop.
On the other hand, he gazed fondly at the young Togrutan at his side, her face had lit up at the sight of the clothing displayed just a few steps away. It was just for one day and one evening, the later would be good practise for her ambassadorial skills, which he himself lacked sorely.
He could explain it, if everybody ever asked. This was for Ahsoka he told himself.
Upon entry they were immediately greeted with an overwhelming enthusiasm. An eager employee ushered them to a more private dressing area. She offered Anakin a seat while chatting up a storm with Padme.
In between talk about the weather, traffic, current cuts and colours Anakin could make out that Padme had apparently pre-booked a shopping assistant for Ahsoka's dresses.
As their help disappeared around a corner to fetch some examples "to see what kind of style fits the young lady," and Ahsoka inspected some accessories he leaned closer to his love.
"Dresses, Padme?" He asked "I thought this was for one evening."
She smiled and used the moment to place a delicate kiss on his cheek. "There will be more chances for her to wear these Anakin." She whispered. "I will store them until they are needed. If anyone should ask I lent them to her."
Anakin accepted her answer with a smile, pacified by her smile.
Their assistant returned with several dresses draped over her arm, long, short with sleeves, without sleeves and began to hold them up one by one.
"This is a lovely short dress by Katinka. She is an upcoming designer and has just finished her first collection. As you can see the fabric is very delicate and flows very nicely from this rosette on the shoulder, stretching the body for the eye. The colours here are the blue and greens which were inspired by Ryloth's spring, where Katinka grew up."
She held the dress up for Ahsoka to judge how the colours suited her.
Anakin felt delightfully sleepy by just the first description, but forced himself awake when their assistant reached for the second, a coral blue dress with long sleeves.
"This here has a more unusual cut for this season, but I believe it would suit this young lady very well, as the padded shoulders accentuate your built. The fabric is rather stiff, but warmer than the last one…"
Anakin gave up, sank a bid deeper into the chair and resign to nod at appropriate moments. Padme had a very good taste in clothing, as she had in almost all things. She would make a good choice.
It seemed like hours had passed when the three women stopped talking about this and that and Ahsoka twirled on the tips of her feet for Anakin.
"What do you think master?" She beamed at him, face flushed with excitement.
The dress was a deep red and made out of velvet, clinging to her shoulders to her hips, then flowing wide, swishing like waves when she stopped turning.
"Do you like it?"
Anakin stared, shocked into silence. His Padawan's outfit was usually not very modest, but this made her appear in a light he was not sure he liked.
"It makes you seem, very grown up." He finally brought out.
Ahsoka laughed.
"Thank you Master!" She seemed delighted by the idea and brushed the soft fabric at her hips, suddenly deep in thought. A comforting warmth bled through their bond, unintentional, a hot, almost burning feeling that was yet so very comforting; a feeling no Jedi should have.
Anakin had an inkling what was on her mind, or rather who and didn't have the heart to interrupt her. His eyes swayed to Padme. It was not all how the council made it out to be.
He smiled and shook his head, no he would not reprimand her for this feeling, perhaps talk with her later, much later.
"So, what about lunch?" He asked, hoping that there was no more discussion about fabrics to be had.
The other two dresses were presented proudly by Ahsoka and their meal was taken in a small café that Padme praised greatly. She took the clothing with her to her apartment, promising to store them for Ahsoka, a small favour for the 'young lady' as she called Ahsoka with a smile.
His Padawan would not sit still until the dinner, always moving, almost back to her old self except for a few moments of stillness and cold dread that flooded their bond until she shook herself out of it and continued to bounce off of the walls.
The dinner itself was a small affair at Padme's apartment. Only a few senators were there for the delightful dinner.
Ahsoka was blushing with excitement, stripes on her Lekku brighter than ever, markings on her face standing out on freshly scrubbed skin.
Anakin had put a veto on make-up; his Padwan looked different enough without the artificial accents. He was not entirely comfortable with the way the fabric swayed around her and by the way the two senators' sons had brought with them stopped when his Padme introduced his Padawan and him as 'good friends' of hers.
For today he and Ahsoka were incognito, hoping for one evening of normalcy for Ahsoka, who was drying her hands on her dress before shaking hands with everyone in the room and being seated at the end of the table for the younger folks.
Anakin watched her, for a moment forgoing the delightful presence of Padme by his side in favour of keeping an eye on his Padawan.
After a few moments of silence one of the boys asked her about her Akkul teeth, which Ahsoka, outgoing person she was, launched into a tale of the hunt of the beasts.
"They are big predators, usually very careful, although they really don't have to be, after all they are the top of the food chain; but every now and then, especially in the deep winters, they will come to close to the villages to search for food. That is when the hunters have to track them to their burrows."
Anakin smiled and turned his attention to Padme. He shouldn't have worried. Ahsoka might not be experienced in formal affairs, the war had not left much time for it, but she was a very friendly person and people took to her quickly.
Time passes quickly in pleasant company and the evening went by in a blur. It was after midnight when the last of the group, which had shrunk quiet a lot, as a few senators had already excused themselves, broke up for good.
Padme stood up to bring the last of her visitors to the doors and returned to the living room, here Ahsoka had pushed off her shoes and curled into the cushions, turning around like a cat, trying to find a comfortable spot.
"Had a nice evening Ahsoka?" Her master asked, holding a last glass of red wine in his slim fingers.
"Mh, mh. It was great, Jip and Shoka were very nice, just like their fathers." Her eyes were nearly closed, a smile playing on her lips.
Anakin sighed and pulled out a row of tablets, hating to spoil the moments, but he hadn't wanted to pull Ahsoka away from the comversation during the evening.
"Great, now, try to take these before you get changed, water is on the table."
Ahsoka was wide awake at the sight of the plasic containers. "Do I have to?" She glowered at him.
Anakin held out the container.
"Yes. They are overdue already."
She sighed, cramming the pills in her mouth and washing them down with two big gulps of warm, stale water.
"I wish we could have danced through."
"Pardon?" Anakin was puzzled, had expected more resistance from his Padawan at having to return to the reality and her illness.
Ahsoka stood up, stretching, before flinching. The bond snapped shut.
Her masters forehead crunched in displeasure at being shut out so quickly after the whiff of dread came from her.
Ahsoka rubbed her midriff. "The evening, it was great, but dancing, I would have liked to dance with you."
She grinned and hurried towards Padme's bedroom where her robes hung.
The senator sat down next to her love, just as the door closed and put her arms around him.
"She shuts me out." He murmured into her hair, holding her close, savouring the moment.
"She doesn't want to worry you. This evening was for you both and she knows that."
Padme kissed him, lips warm and soft against his. "You both needed the break. Never forget I am here, for both of you."
A.N.:
A great thanks to MucisKeeper and Guest; and to Eregnar a whole bunch of cyber cookies, thank you.
Aboutthe chapter: Even with such an illness sometimes you are able to forget just what is hanging over your head, sometimes you even need to.
