A/N: Wow! Thanks for the reviews, you are all great! Thanks for following the story and appreciating the plot. Also I'd like to point out that you are all very understanding about the mistakes the characters make, that tells me how good you really are!

As for those of you who don't like the story… I don't care if you flame me, but if you are going to do that at least do it with some class. Flames with no arguments to back up the opinions are very rude… Don't you have any manners? LOL.

Wow, always a statement to be made! Me and my big mouth…

And don't worry, more stories and updates will come. Writing helps me improve my English (Spanish is my mother language) and it always a good excuse to let my imagination fly.

Enjoy!

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Padmé's comm. link beeped insistently at her waist. Checking the numbers displayed on the screen she recognized Anakin's code. Sighing, she answered the call. Not in her saddest dreams she could've imagined the expression on his face. The blue hologram projected in front of her eyes blinked because of the bad connection, but that couldn't interfere with her noticing Anakin's swollen eyes.

"Can I meet you there… Please?", he asked, his voice shaky and cracky with emotion. Padmé nodded without even thinking about it.

"Yes, of course. What…?"

"Thank you", he interrupted before he cut off. Puzzled, Padmé stood up and left her datapad on the table facing her. She walked in circles around her room wondering what happened to Anakin.

***

30 minutes later she heard the buzz of the door. Rushing to the entrance of her hotel room, she opened the door expectant to find her visitor. Standing in front of her was a weak Anakin, his head bent down hopelessly. Padmé reached for his hand and pulled him inside, closing the door behind him. Facing each other, he finally lifted his head and met her expectant gaze. His cheeks were red and wet, tears drying on his skin. His eyes were red and still swollen, pleading for comfort. But behind the weakness she noticed a sort of… darkness.

"I… I know you said you were going to call me tomorrow, but…", he whispered. Padmé shook her head and shushed him, pulling him into her comforting embrace. Anakin sighed and hid his face on her neck, sobbing helplessly. Padmé rubbed his back soothingly, whispering comforting words into his shoulder.

Anakin took one steadying breath and pulled back, cleaning his face with his sleeve. Padmé raised on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek, only pulling back to guide him into the living room. They sat on the large couch where she held his hands, encouraging him to talk.

"What happened, Anakin?", she asked gently, not wanting him to feel pressured.

"The dean called me to his office today", he started, fixing his eyes on the rug. "He said it was a family emergency".

Padmé gasped. Something had happened to his mother.

"My mother…", he continued, "is very, very ill. There's no one to help her in Tatooine, I'm all she's got. The dean said that I couldn't go there because I have to finish this semester. If I don't go there to help her she will…"

"Shh", she soothed, her hand moving to the back of his neck. "Does my brother know this?", she asked. Anakin shrugged.

"Caleb won't be here until Monday and he's the only one who can help me", he said. Padmé frowned and shook her head.

"Ani, I'm here, too", she reminded with a smile. Ani. She had called him Ani. She remembered how he had reacted when she first called him that. This time, it was different. He looked at her and collapsed on her arms, holding on to her for dear life. The impulse of his embrace pushed Padmé to her back, extracting a gasp from her. Taken aback, she wrapped her arms around him and held his face against her neck, whispering her support into his hair.

"Ani…", she whispered brokenly, disbelieving she could call him by his childhood name. Anakin tightened his arms around her and pressed his face between her neck and shoulder, taking sharp intakes of air to fill his lungs. Her fingers tangled in his hair while her other hand ran absently up and down his back, her mind racing to find a way to help Anakin. His easy breathing on her neck kept her from thinking straight, as it always happened when she was with him.

"Thank you, Padmé", his hushed voice murmured. Padmé looked down and smiled at the sight of him staring back into her eyes. She cupped his face and pulled him closer to kiss his forehead. Anakin closed his eyes and sighed. Padmé urged his head back to her collarbone and kissed his temple.

"Try to get some rest. We will help your mother, I promise you", she said reassuringly.

Anakin didn't know what was happening. Maybe it was the warmth of her skin, the sound of her voice or her heart beating under his ear, but he felt how he fell into a deep sleep in her arms. It took him only a couple of minutes to give into his exhaustion.

And there, on the couch and with her arms around him, he fell asleep.

Padmé was beyond confusion. She felt very attracted to him but she knew there was more than that in her head. Not under any circumstances she would've allowed the other night to happen, and that meant that she felt deeper for him than she ever thought possible. She recalled the conversation they had had in his room the previous day.

"I need to sort this out by myself, I can't do it if you are with me"

"Why not?"

"Because I can't think clearly when you are with me"

The last thought rang a bell in her head. It was happening again. He was confusing her with his presence. He was keeping her from thinking clearly.

//Why are you blaming him for your confusion?//, she asked herself. This wasn't Anakin's fault, it was hers. She needed to think things through to avoid hurting him. //But you've already hurt him enough//, she reminded herself. She disliked this last thought. She didn't want to hurt him ever again, he didn't deserve it. She said she was going to respect his feelings, but was she? He had respected hers, something she wasn't doing. //Why am I ignoring my feelings?//, she asked herself for the hundredth time. She wasn't keeping in mind how she felt. How was she supposed to get somewhere with that attitude?

She was afraid. Afraid that he might hurt her if things didn't work out between them. Maybe he wouldn't, but was it worth to take the chance? Looking down, she saw the peaceful expression on his face, his arms holding on to her. She remembered the other night when he had held her and how safe she felt in his arms. Now the tables were turned and he was seeking protection and safety in her arms. Padmé accepted the change of events happily, glad that she could make him feel what she had felt the other night.

He was worth the try. She knew it, somehow she knew it in her heart. Trying not to disturb his peaceful slumber, she reached for the blanket on the back of the couch and pulled it down, covering him as much as she could. He sighed against her collarbone and snuggled in her arms making himself comfortable. Padmé smiled and shaped his skull with her hands, her fingers getting lost in his hair. How she loved to touch his hair. She did it tenderly, gently, as a way of showing how much she cared for him.

Out of nowhere the conversation they had had in his room the other night came to her mind.

"At least I DO something to show how I feel! All you do is hide, you pretend to feel something when you feel the exact opposite"

She had said that with a conviction beyond her actions. It was exactly the other way around. She was the one pretending, she was the one faking, she was the one hiding now. As her fingers tangled in his hair she analyzed how he made her feel.

He was always on her mind. She had lost her appetite since she met him. He always appeared in her dreams. Whenever she knew she was going to see him she put extra care in her appearance. She was always thinking of different excuses to see him. She didn't sleep well anymore, only in his arms did she get some rest after nights of laying awake on her bed.

She liked him. She cared for him. He had affected her more than any man before him. And he deserved to know.

Anakin stirred on his sleep and fisted his hand in a lock of Padmé's hair. Padmé kissed the top of his head and decided to wait until morning before she told him. Stretching her arm she reached for the datapad on the table and carefully placed on Anakin's back. Searching through the holonet she entered the Jedi Academy files and looked for Anakin's name. She read his file containing his personal information and smiled proudly. Instantly she wrote a message to Jalek, her older brother.

Jalek: I need a huge favor. The mother of a great friend of mine is really sick and there's no one to help her. She lives in Mos Espa, a small city in Tatooine, a planet in the Outer Rim and her name is Shmi Skywalker. Since you are a doctor I was thinking that maybe you could help her. Please, Jalek, I need you to help her. Thank you. Padmé.

When she sent the message she sighed in frustration. All she had to do now was wait. As if sensing her impatience, Jalek replied instantly. Padmé gave a little jump when she saw the small window blinking.

Of course I'll help her. I'll take the first shuttle first thing in the morning. Why do I get the impression that this is a male friend…?

Padmé groaned and rolled her eyes. She typed her reply.

Shut up!

I knew it!, came the amused reply. Padmé shook her head and giggled, replacing the datapad on the table. For now, she would enjoy being so close to Anakin.