Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Star Wars (except for six DVDs, five soundtracks, four calendars, three lightsabers, two posters, and a plastic Darth Vader M&M in a fir tree.)
Reviews make me happy! Even the bad ones! (At least they're something to read.) Seriously, tell me what you think about this one, as long as you can do it without using swear words. If you hate it and think it's the worst thing you've ever read in your life, great! If you like it, even better!
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Anakin awoke, but did not open his eyes. In the initial bewilderment of waking, he thought he might be dead, but his more rational side told him that if that were the case, his nose wouldn't be so stuffed up.
His tongue and throat felt parched because he had been breathing through his mouth for so long, and he eventually decided that, since he most likely wasn't dead, he might as well get a drink of water. He reluctantly opened his eyes and struggled to sit up, but he felt rather light-headed and just lazily collapsed back against the pillow. He remembered there being a glass of water on the end table, so he rolled onto his side and searched for it with his hand.
He found it all right – but only after he had inadvertently knocked it to the floor. Fortunately, it had been mostly empty already. Now, however, he had to get himself some more water somehow. He considered trying to get up again, but didn't feel particularly energetic.
Luck was with him; Angela had heard the noise he made when he knocked over the glass and came to check on him.
"Are you feeling any better?" she asked.
He hadn't really considered the question; it hadn't even crossed his mind. Was he feeling better? Yes, he decided. He wasn't in nearly so much pain, and his body seemed to be a much more normal temperature.
"I… think so," he said thickly, his dry tongue sticking to the inside of his dry mouth. "I'm really thirsty, though."
"Apparently," said Angela, with a bit of a smile, as she picked up the fallen glass. "Fortunately, we have, in this galaxy, a marvelous substance called water, which can be drunk as well as thrown on the floor, and has been known to quench thirst."
"I'm sorry," said Anakin contritely, apologizing for knocking his glass on the floor.
Angela laughed. "It's all right, I was just teasing you a little. And it wasn't your fault; you've been asleep for almost six hours; I would imagine you're a little bit out of it right now. Besides, you were in pretty rough shape this morning; I wouldn't expect you to be back to normal already. But I'll go and get you some water now," she said and was gone.
By the time Angela returned with the water, Anakin had managed to work himself into something that resembled a sitting position. He gulped the water thirstily.
"Thanks," he breathed, handing back an empty glass. She went to get him some more. When she came back, she also brought another jar of pills.
"These are vitamin C pills," she told him. "They'll help boost your immune system so your body can fight off this virus. I don't know why I didn't think of them earlier, but I certainly should have – you could have been nearly better by now. Of course, it wouldn't have hurt if I had paid netter attention and not let your Tylenol and decongestant run out last night…"
"It's okay," said Anakin awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say. "I appreciate your taking care of me."
Angela smiled. "Why don't you take one of these vitamins and then try to go back to sleep now? Rest is important to getting you better. If you're well enough when Jeff gets home, maybe you and he can watch another Star Wars movie."
With that hope in mind, Anakin obediently swallowed his vitamin pill and settled back down to sleep some more.
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He slept most of the day, only waking up for a few minutes at a time until Jeff came home from school.
"Dude, I can't believe my mom made me go to school with you here!" the teenager moaned. "I am so glad Christmas vacation starts in two days."
"It's okay, you didn't miss much," said Anakin groggily from where he lay on the couch. He still felt half-asleep.
Angela burst into the room, interrupting them. "Jeff! Leave Anakin alone and go do your homework! If you get it done quickly, you and he can have an early supper, and after Anakin rests some more, you guys can watch another Star Wars."
Jeff quickly dashed off to begin his homework, and Anakin allowed himself to zone out, drifting in and out of sleep until a shout brought him back to reality.
"Mom! I'm done! Can we watch Star Wars now?"
Anakin heard Angela answer her son, saying, "Wait until Anakin wakes up, and then, only if he feels up to it."
Anakin grinned, feeling more awake already. He was going to watch another Star Wars! Gingerly, he tried sitting up on the couch. It didn't make him dizzy, as it had before. He was trying to figure out how to attract their attention, short of knocking something on the floor again, when Jeff came rushing in, undoubtedly checking to see if he was awake yet.
"Mom! He's awake!" Jeff yelled from the doorway where he stood. Then he addressed Anakin. "Hi," he said in a softer tone.
Anakin smiled a little. "Hi," he said back. "Ummm… how was…. school?"
Jeff rolled his eyes. "Boring. Are you ready to watch the next Star Wars now?"
"I think so. I've been looking forward to it all day. I'm tired of sleeping."
Jeff laughed at his statement as Angela came in.
"Anakin, how are you feeling?" she asked, going over to him and feeling his forehead. "You seem better, anyway."
"I feel better," he declared. "I think I'm done sleeping for a while."
"Well, then," she said with a smile, "you and Jeff can watch another Star Wars movie and have an early supper. Jeff, you start the movie, and I'll bring you guys something."
"Something" turned out to be chicken noodle soup again. Though Anakin had no appetite, especially for anything non-chewy, he ate it because Angela had told him it was "good for him" and he knew if he refused food she would bug him about it until he gave in and ate it anyway. Once again, the hot soup made Anakin's nose run, and before long, it was so stuffed up he couldn't even talk properly.
"Ogay, whed is this… bovie… gudda start?" Anakin couldn't help but laugh huskily at the sound of his own voice.
Jeff looked confused, then laughed as well. "I guess maybe we'll get farther if I push 'play', huh?" he said, picking up the remote.
Again, the screen went black; then the words, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…" appeared once more. Once again, Anakin jumped at the first note of what he began to surmise must be the "theme song" of the series. One again, the introductory "Star Wars" title was followed by a description of the time frame in which the "story" was to take place. Anakin was surprised when he realized it was just before the Clone Wars began – only two and a half years ago for him!
Jamie came into the room. "Ughh! Mom, why does Jeff always get the TV? I wanna watch something else!"
"Jamie, leave your brother and Anakin alone."
"But, Mom! It's not fair! They got to watch their thing last night, too!"
Angela sighed. "All right, Jamie, you get to choose what we watch tomorrow night. For tonight, you can either join us – without complaining – or go somewhere else."
Jamie heaved a great sigh and plopped down on the floor.
Jeff glared at her. "Thanks," he said sarcastically, "Now we have to go back so Anakin can hear the part that you whined through." He took the recording back to the spot that had been playing when Jamie came in.
As Anakin watched, memories came flooding back to him: the footage of Padmé's ship exploding on the landing platform, receiving their assignment from the Council to protect her, how nervous he had been. He blushed at the sight of himself, still a Padawan learner, complete with ridiculous braid and ponytail, trying to hide his nervousness from his all-too-perceptive Master. He laughed at his ludicrous attempts to compliment Padmé in a way appropriate for a Jedi Padawan. Now that he was married to her, it was easy to laugh at his not-so-subtle attempts to attract her attention.
"I cadt believe I said that! I soudded so dubb!" he exclaimed through his stuffed-up nose.
Jamie smirked at him. "Yeah? Well, you sound pretty dumb to me right now!" This comment earned her an indignant "Jamie!" from Angela.
Anakin wondered what he had ever done to her to deserve this torment. Nevertheless, he decided to be gracious and diplomatic. Thinking of what Obi-wan would do, he replied, "That's ogay. I soud bretty dubb to byself right dow, too."
Anakin greatly enjoyed the recording of himself and Obi-wan chasing Zam Wesell through the Coruscant traffic. How he had loved tormenting Obi-wan! He remembered that, on that particular occasion, he had managed to make both of them feel a little queasy! He wasn't really sure that was something to be proud of, but he guessed it was an accomplishment of sorts; not just anyone could do it!
He laughed at Obi-wan's dismay at his jumping form the speeder. Why was he upset? Hadn't he been the one, who, only minutes before, had jumped through the window hundreds of stories above the planet's derelict surface with only a tiny droid to cling to for support?
Anakin was very interested when the recording showed his Master's work in discovering the assassin who had tried to take Padmé's life. He saw how the trail faint as it was, lead to Kamino and the mysteries surrounding the events there.
When the recording went back to Anakin's side of the story – well, his and Padmé's, it was almost like it was all happening again. The emotional high of his young love for her lifted him until his spirits truly did walk the sky.
They were brought down with an unceremonious thud when, displayed across the screen for any and all to see, was a recording of him standing with the famous Senator on the veranda at the lake retreat. Kissing her.
"How the"— Anakin swallowed the Huttese word that came to his mind before in reached his lips – " How id the worlds did they get a recordig of that?!" he exclaimed, horrified. If people in another galaxy could get it, then Obi-wan and the rest of the Council probably could, too! That would be… disastrous!
He couldn't believe that both he and Padmé had been so oblivious to their surroundings that they wouldn't have noticed someone recording them. Good grief! Judging by the angle of the recording, the person taking it must have been hovering in the air over the lake! He felt sure one of them would have noticed that.
Jeff looked over at him in amusement. "Don't worry, we won't show Obi-wan. What happens on Naboo, stays on Naboo. And Obi-wan is about to be too busy hunting for assassins to go looking for this himself."
It was true; the recording suddenly cut back over to Obi-wan's investigation of the situation on Kamino. Anakin breathed a sigh of relief.
His emotions and memories didn't have much time to relax, however. There were plenty of other memories from that time to be relived, and not all of them were good. The next thing he knew, he was watching himself struggle through a nightmare about his mother. The pain came flooding back just as quickly as the joy had – particularly when he remembered the outcome of the dreams. He had a sudden horrible thought. What if –
Anakin was distracted by yet another shift of focus. He began to enjoy the recording once again as he watched his Master battling the bounty hunter, Jango Fett. He was amused at some of the tricks each of them pulled. He laughed out loud when Obi-wan threw Jango off the landing platform, before realizing that he and the bounty hunter were tied together! He stored that one away to use as blackmail later.
After a shot of him and Padmé arriving on Tatooine, he was treated to another delightful spectacle – that of his Master flying for his life from the infamous Fett and his rather sadistic cloned son. He howled when Obi-wan exclaimed "Blast! This is why I hate flying!"
He quickly sobered, however, when the story returned to his visit to the Lars homestead. Anakin was growing nervous. He didn't at all like how close they were getting to some very painful events in his life. Tears came to his eyes, when he watched Cliegg explain to his recorded self how the Tusken Raiders had taken his mother. His tension grew as he saw himself take off across the desert on his borrowed speeder bike. He became truly alarmed when he overheard Angela whisper to Jeff, "Are you sure it's the best idea to have him see this? Especially since he's not feeling well."
"How do you know, Mom?"
"I've seen this movie before, and I haven't forgotten everything that happens in it. I know what's coming next."
"Just trust me, Mom. He has to see it. He has to understand that we know everything."
Apprehension filled Anakin when the recording showed the Tusken camp. He watched in horror, unable to move or speak, as he cut his way into the Tusken ut and saw his mother. Tears filled his eyes, and his nose suddenly became unclogged. He reached for the tissues, weeping silently as he was forced to watch his mother's life ebb away for the second time in his life.
And then it began. He saw himself rise, eyes filled with hate and vengeance, and cut down the guards outside the door of the hut. The recording mercifully spared the family any further details, but Anakin knew it all, and he bowed his head in shame. He sat, completely oblivious to the recording, until it showed his confession to Padmé. This only increased Anakin's shame and disgrace. He hated to have his hosts see what he had done.
How, how, had this been recorded? There couldn't have been anyone there: he had left none alive! And this recording! It left out so many things, but of all the things it included, it had to be this! Yet Anakin knew it was his own fault; had he not done these things, then there could be no recording of them.
The rest of the recording passed by in a blur; Anakin was too emotionally distracted to make any sense out of the rest of it. He only dimly remembered his pain and anger at the loss of his arm, and he could not even manage a small smile at the scene of his marriage.
Then it was over. The family sat in silence. Having Anakin there in the room made the story much more powerful and serious.
Jamie was the first to speak. "Did you really do all of that stuff?" she asked, her eyes wide. Anakin shut his eyes, hung his head, and nodded slightly.
"Wow." Her tone was perfectly neutral. Without another word, she got up and left the room. Silence reigned once more. This time, it was Anakin who broke it.
"So," he said his voice thick with emotion. "Now you know."
Angela looked him straight in the eye. With a slight, pitying smile, she said, "Anakin. We've all seen this before. We knew when you showed up on our doorstep and decided to take you in until your Master returns." She came over and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Now, I think you should take your medicine and go to sleep for the night. You've had a lot of hard stuff to think about, and your body needs rest. We want you all better when your Master comes for you!"
Jeff left the room, and Anakin took the medicine as instructed. Angela was, if anything, kinder and more motherly than usual as she helped him get settled on the sofa. Anakin wondered how these people could accept him, knowing the horrible things he'd done. Not even the Jedi would do that!
He didn't think he would be able to sleep at all, his mind was so overwhelmed with the reliving of those painful memories, but his illness and his emotional exhaustion caught up with him. He quickly drifted off into a deep and mercifully dreamless sleep.