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Chapter 10

Varykino

Lake Country

Sitting Room

Later that night

"…and what is that tat you are wearing, Padmé?" Olivia Naberrie demanded.

"It's called a dress, Grandmother." Padmé replied in a flat voice, utterly bored with this conversation. She was beginning to regret saying that they could all still come and stay with them, given the threat to her life. Her Grandmother had done nothing but complain since she had got here.

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady!" She said, bristling, and straightening her already poker straight back as she sat on the comfortable black leather sofa. "Now, what Sola is wearing, that is a good, top quality dress."

"I dare say it is." Her granddaughter replied dryly. Olivia ignored her, devoting her full attention to Sola, who she liked much better than Padmé, who didn't even know what she was supposed to have done to make her Grandmother hate her so much.

"Now, dear, how are you doing? I see your children are polite enough." Olivia said, accepting a cookie from the plate that Pooja was handing around, while Ryoo poured her another cup of coffee with trembling arms.

Padmé saw what was about to happen before it did. She made to get up, but before she could, the little girl had dropped the heavy coffee pot and everyone's eyes were drawn to it.

In the split second before it happened, Anakin – who was sitting on the sofa across from the old woman next to Darred and Ahsoka – saw what was happening, and darted forwards, his flesh hand closing around the almost spilt coffee pot as his lightening-fast reflexes kicked in, his brain allowing them complete control over his body.

Everyone gaped at him as he smiled down at the terrified little girl and gently took the tray from her hands, placing it and the coffee pot on the coffee table next to Olivia, who looked livid.

"You stupid girl!" She shrieked at Ryoo, who trembled, and cowered behind her uncle's muscular form. "You could have killed me!" She raised her hand as though to slap her, but Anakin caught her wrist in his vice like grip.

"Don't be an arse." He snarled. "It's a fuckin' pot of coffee! Worst it's gonna do is give you a slight burn."

"A slight burn?" She shrieked, standing and squaring up to Anakin, which wasn't very impressive, as he towered at least two heads taller than her, his arms crossed across his broad chest. "Are you insane?"

"Compared to what I've seen, you would've got off lucky." He snarled back.

She glowered up at him. "You, whatever your name is, should show some respect. I would have expected better of a Jedi."

"It's Anakin Skywalker, ma'am, and it's time you earned some."

Everyone's eyes were now on the trio standing in the middle of the room, and everyone – even Jev – had to hide their smiles at that last remark of Anakin's.

Olivia – predictably – was not impressed. With one final glare at Ryoo, who cowered still further behind her favourite uncle, she swept gracefully out the room.

Anakin's glare softened as she left the room, and he turned around, kneeling down beside the little girl cowering behind him as she flung her skinny arms around his neck and held him tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder. He lifted her easily into his strong arms, and sat down between Padmé and Sola, the latter pulling her eldest daughter into her arms and holding her close, speaking to her soothingly while she stroked her hair. Pooja clambered up onto Anakin's lap, and she too stroked Ryoo's hair. After several moments the little girls sobs quietened, and she turned to face Anakin again, giving him a shaky smile. He grinned back, all traces of that feared Jedi General gone as quickly as they had come.

"Thanks." She whispered.

"No problem," He replied, squeezing her little hand gently in his large flesh and blood one.

"That was really cool, how you caught that coffee." She said, the tears now having stopped. "Do you think I'll ever be able to move that fast? It'll be cool!" The thought of having lightening-fast reflexes like her uncle's cheered her up immensely – then again, it could be the fact that her evil great-grandmother had left the room. Anakin could sense her rage through the Force as she fumed in her bedroom. Oh well. They'd just have to wait and see if she'd cooled off before the morning. It was Jev that he felt sorry for, however. Imagine having to sleep next to that old dragon every night? Must be torture!

"I don't know, Ryoo," Anakin chuckled along with everyone else. "Maybe you will."

The mood lightened considerably after that, and they had great fun talking with Jev, who, it transpired, was nothing like his wife and the two little girls took an instant liking to the elderly man. Anakin could sense a kind heart in him. He always seemed to be in a good mood, and for that Padmé was grateful. She loved her Grandfather to bits. She had always been his favourite, but he, unlike Olivia, liked Sola too. Of course he did, he said, after all, she was his grandchild. He himself didn't know why Olivia didn't like Padmé. She had never told him though as a little girl Padmé had often asked him this very question.

"You know, I have never seen someone stand up to my wife and get away with it." Jev said thoughtfully, staring curiously at Anakin. "Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever actually seen anyone stand up to her full-stop. Congratulations!"

Anakin grinned, and chuckled. "Thanks very much."

"You know, I recognised you the moment I saw you. I won't pretend that I wasn't surprised to see you here of all places – never would I have dreamed that I would get to meet the Hero With No Fear himself!"

Anakin grimaced. "Yeah, well, it's not that big a deal."

Jev chuckled. "Tell that to the HoloNet and the population of the Republic. And the Separatists." He added as an afterthought. "You're a Galactic war hero, and I don't believe for one moment that my wife didn't recognise you too!"

"Thanks." Anakin said, but with obvious sarcasm dripping from his voice.

The old man smiled. "You don't like that fame?"

"Not really. Get's annoying."

"Mmm, I suppose it would."

They sat in silence for a few moments, before Anakin noticed Pooja nodding off in his lap, her small head resting peacefully on his broad shoulder. He smiled slightly, and stood, lifting the girl easily. Sola followed, carrying Ryoo, and the two of them and Darred carried them to the bedroom that they shared. Anakin left the two parents to tuck them up in bed, and returned to the sitting room where Jev and Padmé were now discussing her wedding. Anakin was pleased to note that his wife was looking considerably happier than she had while her Grandmother had been there. She gave him a dazzling smile as he entered – a smile that he returned as he sat down next to her. The urge to pull her slight frame into his strong arms was almost overwhelming, but he knew he couldn't, as Jev didn't know they were married.

"I couldn't help but notice that you didn't seem particularly happy on your wedding day, Padmé." Jev said to her, care evident in his voice. "Is everything alright in your marriage?"

"Everything is… Everything is perfect, Grandfather." Padmé replied. If he noticed her stammer – which was hard to miss – he didn't comment, just nodded his head and looked at her curiously. She looked away from him, and her gaze rested on Anakin's lean form. A small smile tugged on her lips as her eyes trailed his body. Only at the sound of her mother clearing her throat did she pull herself from her fantasy and focus on the real world.

"Well, I'm off to bed." She said brightly. "See you in the morning." She said to the Jedi, but Anakin caught the hidden meaning in her words, and it was with a smile that he nodded his head wished her goodnight along with everyone else. He would give her a head start and then go up and join her in a bit. They had some serious love-making to attend too.

They spent the next half hour having a laugh with Jev, Anakin keeping half his mind focused on his wife, who – he sensed – was taking a shower. When he sensed that she was out, he waited another five minutes then excused himself and headed up to join her.

He quietly pushed open the bedroom door and shut it behind him. His eyes instantly fell on his wife, who had her back to him, fixing her hair in the long mirror that hung from the wall. She turned, hearing the door click shut behind him, and smiled as she saw his eyes travel over the short robe she wore. She walked slowly, seductively over to their vast bed, and peeled back the folds of her robe, revealing her petit form clad only in sexy, scanty underwear. Anakin growled low in his throat, and pounced on her…

The next morning dawned with the esteemed senator sprawled across the chosen ones broad chest, her head resting over his heart. Smiling, she placed a delicate kiss on his collar bone, and felt him stir under her. Her grin widened as his blue eyes fluttered open and he smiled down at her.

"That was fun." He murmured, running his flesh hand down her spine, making her giggle and clutch him tighter.

"Yes it was!" She agreed, as memories of the night before flooded her mind. "I still can't believe I did all that, though! I mean, my whole family is here!"

Though they wanted nothing more than to stay in bed for a lot longer – they'd probably never leave it if they had their way! – they dressed quickly and headed down for breakfast.

Jev, Jobal, Ruwee, Sola, Darred and Ahsoka were already there when they entered, and Jev raised his eyebrows slightly when they entered together, but didn't comment. He couldn't help but wonder…

"Did you two sleep well?" Jobal asked pleasantly.

Anakin gave her his signature cocky grin. "Sure thing." While Padmé nodded, a slight blush creeping up her neck.

"Do anything embarrassing?" Sola asked, smirking at her little sister.

"Of course not." Padmé replied smoothly.

Sola raised her eyebrows. "How was your morning then?" She asked sweetly.

Anakin chuckled. "Imagine your Grandmothers face if she saw what you did." He teased, while Padmé turned scarlet, and her Grandfather looked on curiously enough.

"What did you do?" Ahsoka asked, oblivious to what they were talking about.

Anakin looked at her scathingly. "Are you really that thick?" He asked. "What do you think we did?"

"Um…" And then realisation hit her, and she pulled a face. "That is just gross."

Anakin shrugged, and nothing more was said on the subject.

Going by the young Togrutan girl's reaction, and the teasing Sola was initiating on her younger sister, Jev thought he had a pretty shrewd idea of what his Granddaughter and the Hero With No Fear had done last night. But he couldn't understand it. She said she was happy in her marriage, yet here she was having one-night-stands with Anakin Skywalker! He didn't know what to think, so he sat in silence for the rest of the meal, listening to the others conversation but not participating. Judging by how Anakin seemed to be a part of the family, he guessed that this had been going on for a while, and that the rest of them knew about it – accepted it. He wondered if Rush knew, and then quickly ruled that out. Of course he mustn't, or he would surely have confronted her. But then again, perhaps he had, and this was why she had seemed hesitant in telling him that her marriage was perfect the night before. Little did he know that she hadn't been referring to Clovis when she had changed what she was going to say about her marriage last night. She had been talking about Anakin. After all, he was all she had ever wanted and needed in life. He was her soul mate, and he had completed her when they married.

But of course, Jev knew nothing of this. He just thought that they were having a fling.

He decided to confront them about it. Question was, who first? The esteemed Senator or the feared Jedi General?

Scipio

Rush Clovis' Estate in the Capital

Aeyla was bored. But then, that wasn't exactly new. This mission was trying even her vaunted patience. The Clovis' were driving her up the wall. Not Grace though. She had grown close to the young girl, and it was on her that her thoughts drifted to now. There was something different about this girl. She wasn't at all like that rest of her stuck-up family, and she too seemed bored of their constant complaining. She had told her the night before that she longed to escape – to travel the galaxy and see the wonders it possessed – a dream she had possessed since she had been a little girl, apparently.

Grace glanced across the table, and caught Aeyla's eye. She smiled ruefully, and they both shared a small, private, exasperated look as Rush continued to brag about Padmé and how beautiful she was, and how she loved only him. Aeyla couldn't help but roll her eyes at this part, because Padmé was most certainly not Clovis'. But he didn't know that. Aeyla found herself hoping for the day when Padmé would finally be free of this big-headed monster, and able to have her husband sleep next to her when he was on leave from the war. She longed to see her friends happy. To see them so miserable hurt her, as she had been close to Anakin since he had saved her life so may years ago, and Padmé since she first met her as Anakin's young wife.

Standing, she politely excused herself, and walked from the room. She wanted to talk to someone. Anyone. She needed to defuse the tension that this mission was building up inside her.

She'd call her old friend Sara Nabrynski at the temple. Sara was younger than her, and about two years older than Anakin. When you enter the temple, you form strong bonds of friendship that never really break, as was the case for Sara, Anakin and Sara's twin brother Dan. Sara had been in one of the classes that Aeyla had taken to train in Lightsaber combat, and since then they had grown close. Sara was who she needed to speak to. She just hoped she wasn't too busy meditating or away on a mission of her own.

Varykino

Lake Retreat

Later that Morning

Anakin stood on the balcony where he had married his angel, looking out over the lake, absorbed in thought of that day that had changed his life forever, when he heard someone clear their throat behind him.

Dragging himself from the depths of thoughts, he turned to see Jev Naberrie standing behind him. He nodded respectfully, and turned back to the lake that sprawled in front of him. He felt Jev walk over and lean on the railing beside him.

"Beautiful, isn't it." Jev said.

Anakin nodded. "That it is, sir."

"A slight difference to what you're used too, I take it?"

Anakin smiled ruefully. "Slightly."

The stood in silence for a moment, and Anakin could feel Jev's eyes on him, but he didn't turn around. Finally, the old man spoke again.

"Are you messing around my Granddaughter?" He asked bluntly.

Anakin turned slowly towards him, and arched an eyebrow. "Sir?"

"Don't act innocent, kid. I don't care if you are a galactic war hero or not, you keep your hands off my Padmé."

"Who said I had my hands on her in the first place?" Anakin asked, turning back to the lake. Oh, he's good. Jev thought, his temper flaring. It wasn't often Jev got angry, but when he did, it wasn't for some stupid thing. And if someone was destroying his Granddaughter's marriage, then that was definitely a good reason to get mad.

"What are you two talking about?" Padmé asked coming out to join them.

"How he's messing you around behind your husbands back." Her Grandfather's answered, his voice cold, and Padmé felt her blood run cold, in contrast to Jev's blood-boiling.

She turned questioningly to Anakin, who shrugged. He didn't know how much Jev knew.

"Who said he is?" The good thing about Padmé being a politician was that she was a good actor when she needed to be. And she was walking on dangerous ground now. She'd need to navigate extremely carefully.

"I saw you two this morning; do not take me for a fool, Padmé!"

"I never said I did. And what exactly told you that Anakin was 'messing me around' this morning?"

"You came into the kitchen together."

"And that automatically means I'm sleeping with him, does it?"

Jev's cheeks flared an ugly red colour. Not a very flattering look, Anakin thought to himself with a slight smirk at his wife's excellent argument. Who's to say they didn't just meet in the hall on the way down to the kitchen, and enter together? Exactly. There was no solid evidence that they had spent the night making out together.

"No, but it's how you act around each other!"

"I have known Anakin for a very long time, Grandfather." Padmé said, and her voice too was cold now, menacing. "He is one of my oldest and best friends, and I love him. But as a friend. There is nothing between us. Got it? Nothing!" Anakin could tell that his wife was upset, but he could do nothing to comfort her while Jev stood staring at her in shock.

"I…I'm s-sorry, Padmé." He stammered. "I didn't mean…I didn't think…"

"You didn't think before accusing me of adultery?" She demanded her voice still cold and icy. "Or maybe you didn't think that as a Jedi, Anakin CANNOT form attachments? Or maybe-"

"Enough, Senator." Anakin said quietly, seeing that she was about to lose control, and possibly reveal their secret.

She looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "You're right." She said, and her voice was calmer now, quieter. She turned to Jev. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. I'm just…stressed."

Jev smiled, and pulled her into a gentle hug. "I know darling, I know. And I'm sorry. I should have know that you would never cheat on Rush. He's a good man." Padmé raised her eyebrows at Anakin over his shoulder, and he had to hide the grin that tugged on the corners of his mouth.

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

Sara Nabrynski answered on the first ring. She accepted the communication, and – to her surprise and delight – saw the blue figure of Jedi Knight Aeyla Secura rise up out of the grey machine.

"Aeyla! How are you?"

Aeyla smiled. It was good to hear her friend's voice again, even if it was only crackling through speakers. "I'm OK. How about you?"

"I'm great. Trying to keep out the flat for a bit. Dan's, well, being Dan."

"Is there a girl with him?" Aeyla teased, and Sara laughed.

"Probably! But anyway, how's the mission going? Have you heard from Anakin at all? Or has he not even left the bedroom yet?"

Aeyla laughed. "No, he has…"

Varykino

Lake Country

On the bank of the Lake

Olivia hadn't cooled off. She was as pleasant as she could be towards her son, Jobal and favourite Granddaughter, but still didn't like Padmé, and she seemed to think that little Ryoo had tried to scald her on purpose. She glared daggers at Anakin at every opportunity she could. He didn't seem to mind though. He said it was a bit like being back in that nest of Gundarks that Obi-Wan had fallen in a few years previously, before the war had even begun. Everyone laughed at this, and Olivia glared at him more forcefully than every the next time she saw him.

Jev didn't say another word on the subject of Padmé and Anakin, but they knew that he was still watching them, so tried to keep as cool as possible, trying not even be in the same room alone together if they could help it. It pained them to do it, but well, needs must and all that! And after all, there was still the bedroom that night!

How was it? I know I maybe exaggerated Olivia a bit, but I have a cunning plan when it comes to her! (Sort of - it's still needs a bit of fine tuning) More on Jev and his suspicions in the next chapters…