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Chapter 25

Immediately, all the Naberries burst into conversation, but Anakin and Acacia just looked at each other. Acacia raised her eyebrows, not even needing words to communicate the meaning to her brother. He nodded one short time.

That was when Darred butted in: "So what are you going to do, Master Jedi? He's coming tomorrow, you know."

Anakin stared at his brother-in-law. He was so not in the mood for this. The young Jedi was aware that the Emperor was coming, and hearing it again from his condescending brother-in-law didn't make the news sound any better. Half of Anakin wanted to break Darred's neck with a flick of his fingers - he knew he could do it, after all.

But the other half told him that that was not the right way to do things, not the Jedi way. Besides that, it was most definitely the Sith way.

All this passed through Anakin's mind in a split second. A single blink, and he pushed all the infuriated, irritated emotions to the bottom of his heart where he could deal with them later.

Rather than reply to Darred, he glanced at Acacia out of the corner of his eye, then flashed his blue orbs back to Padme's parents. "If you'll excuse us," he said, ignoring the surprise on their faces when they heard the clipped, formal tone in his voice.

Acacia jumped to her feet, and Anakin rose smoothly as well, using every bit of Force ability he had to keep his face impassive and calm. Padme looked up at him with worried eyes - he could see it just out of the corner of his own - but he feared that if he faced her head on, he would unravel. So when she called his name, reaching out her hand - whether to comfort him or herself, he wasn't quite sure - Anakin only gave a soft smile in her general direction. "We'll only be a moment, Padme." And then he strode out the room with his sister before anyone could say anything else.

It was only after he'd left the living room, when the two of them were alone in his and Padme's bedroom, that he allowed his emotions to break loose, sending them to Acacia in a tidal wave of pain, anger, annoyance, confusion, worry, and fear that nearly sent her to the floor. Whoa, Bro, she thought to him. Calm down will ya?

"Calm down?" he hissed, unwilling to carry on a mental conversation when his mind was in so much turmoil, he could barely understand his own thoughts. "He's following us, Acacia!" he whispered fervently, eyes bouncing quickly to the door to ensure no one was listening. When he confirmed that no one was there, he turned back to his sister. "He's practically chasing us down."

Acacia watched him warily as he paced the floors, back and forth, back and forth. It didn't help his state of mind at all. "Maybe he's not-"

"Acacia!"

"OK!" She blinked back her surprise, and he felt a little bit bad, but not bad enough to apologize. "So he probably is. But, like Darred said," she rolled her eyes at his name, "what are we gonna about it?"

Anakin finally stopped pacing, staring at his sister with a strange gleam in his eyes. "Simple, Acacia. We're going to find out who he got to do those assassination attempts, and then we're going to snuff him out once and for all. We will send a message to the Emperor: Do not mess with the Skywalkers."

Acacia forced a laugh, trying to steer her brother away from his dark, dangerous mood. "Technically, I'm a Lars."

Anakin didn't laugh. "You know what I mean, Acacia."

"Yes, but I'm not sure you do. Anakin, you're talking crazy. How are we going to find this person anyway?"

He sighed, deflating slightly. "I'm not sure. I just have this feeling that he's here on Naboo."

"So we're just going to follow your feeling?" Though her words were a bit harsh, Acacia's tone was nowhere near Darred's mocking one. Instead, she was careful, quiet, concerned. Anakin could sense that his sister wanted to help him find the attempted assassin, but she didn't think it was possible.

"Yes. It's crazy, I know," He held up a hand to stop her from saying it. "But I have... a hunch."

"A hunch."

"Yes. And I think it's going to lead us right to him. If only we had more time... When did the Emperor say he was coming?"

"Tomorrow, I think."

Anakin cursed under his breath, then shook his head, trying to clear it at least a little. "Then we're just going to have to beat him to the punch. First thing tomorrow morning, we'll go out searching."

Acacia raised her eyebrows. "And you have ideas for where to start?"

"Some." He looked deep into his sister's violet eyes. "Are you with me?"

She cracked a tiny smile. "Forever and always."

"Waaaa! Wa-wa-waaaa!" The baby's scream echoes around the walls. He swivels his head around and around, searching for the source. For some reason he doesn't understand, the cries shoot fear deep into his heart. Why is he so terrified? Where's the cry coming from?

What in the Galaxy is going on?

"Anakin! Anakin!" His sister's voice. Why iss she calling him?

Where is he anyway?

Flashes of scenes. The couch in their living room. His and Padme's bedroom in their Naboo house. Screaming. Oh Force. It's Padme screaming.

"Hold on!" He wants to yell. "I'm coming!"

But he can't. He's engulfed in... something. Something so thick and dark it's like trying to walk through bantha soup. He gags at the smell of it - like burned flesh.

Pain on his chest. Padme's screaming stops for a second, and he looks down. The burn mark he's never showed anyone - not even his wife or his sister - it's glowing. Bright, bright red, it's glowing. And it hurts, oh Sith, it hurts!

But Padme needs him. His children need him. Acacia needs him. He fights through the Dark, through the black, black soup, through the pain. Golden light washes over him, so bright his eyes hurt worse than his chest.

But when he gets out, when he slogs over to the bed, he takes one look at his wife. At his sweet, beloved Padme. And he knows it's too late.

Anakin shot straight up, gasping for air, trying to erase the remnants of the nightmare from his mind, for already he knew that's what it had been. He tried to still his breathing, drawing breaths carefully through his nose to calm himself. Though his breaths did eventually grow slower and more even, and his heart stopped pounding like it was about to leap from his chest and across the room, Anakin still felt so far from come.

Not again. Oh Force, please not again. I can't do it. I can't.

I can't lose her.

Fear racking his body, the young Jedi turned his eyes - and there she was. His beloved wife, sleeping soundly beside him, face turned in his direction and a small smile gracing her lips. He placed a hand on her round stomach, felt the life that pulsed within. Then, he lifted his hand and placed trembling fingers over her nostrils.

Yes, she still breathed.

Using the Force, he listened. Yes, her heart still beat.

He laid back down again and, on impulse, crushed her to him, trying to quell the sobs that wanted so desperately to come. When he felt her stirring in his arms, he used every scrap of Force ability he had to keep himself composed. His wife blinked up at him, sleep still prevalent in her warm, brown eyes. "Ani? Is something wrong?"

He shook his head, glad it was too dark for her to see his lips trembling. "Everything's fine." He forced normalcy into his voice. "I just wanted to be close to you."

It was a good thing she was so exhausted. Otherwise, she'd have easily seen through such an obvious lie. But Padme only smiled and snuggled closer to him. Within seconds, she was asleep again. Anakin wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. But he didn't go to sleep for a very long time.

After a restless night, Anakin woke up early and figured he might as well get started. After the dream he'd had the night before, he knew he had no time to linger. He had to find this assassin immediately, and then he had to come home. Be there for Padme when she needed him.

Images of his mother flashed through his mind, but he shook them off. He would not fail again. Losing Padme, especially the way he'd lost his mother, was not an option.

Just before he headed out the bedroom door, his wife woke up. "Anakin, where are you going?"

He forced a smile. It was easier now that there was some distance between him and his nightmare. "Nowhere, love. Me and Acacia are just going out to do some looking. Figured we ought to get an early start." He made himself think of a joke, anything to keep Padme from thinking of last night and asking him about it. "I'll leave 3PO and R2 here to guard you."

She laughed a little, and the smile didn't feel so forced on his face anymore. "Too bad you're not sticking around. I was looking forward to that Force training stuff you promised me."

Anakin scoffed, the faking becoming easier by the minute. "You were not."

"You're right I wasn't," she said, laughter in her beautiful eyes. He'd do anything to never let the light go out of them. "But I'll miss you."

Anakin crossed the room in three steps, kissing her so she wouldn't have to see the fear and despondency fighting to take over his expression. By the time he pulled away, he had once again regained control. "And I'll miss you." He strode back to the door and, putting his hand on the knob, added. "We'll be back by dinnertime."

"Caisha. Get up."

"Ergh? What?" Acacia blinked in the dawn sunlight coming through the window. "Anakin, it's still early."

"I know. I want to get an early start."

His sister groaned, but she rolled out of bed. "You'd better have a darn good reason for this, Skywalker."

"I do," he whispered, and she turned to him, all weariness and annoyance evaporating, replaced by concern at the tone of his voice. "What is it?" she asked.

"It's... I'll tell you later. Just get your boots on, will you?"

But, like her brother, Acacia could have her stubborn streaks. She folded her arms across her chest and replied, "I'm not going anywhere till you tell me what the problem is."

"Must you do this?"

"Yes."

Not wanting to waste time and needing to share it with someone anyway, Anakin closed his eyes and focused on his dream. The horror of it made him want to throw up, and he couldn't bring himself to describe it, not aloud or otherwise, so Anakin just sent the fragments he could remember to Acacia.

As he was fighting back the choking emotions, he felt something even more pressing, but more comforting, collide with him. He'd wrapped his arms around his sister even before he realized that she'd hugged him.

After several minutes of her wordless comfort, Acacia stepped back. Moments like this were rare between the two siblings, but Anakin supposed that was why he treasured them all the more. "It will be OK, Anakin," she said firmly, staring at him with glittering, amethyst eyes. "It's a good thing I fell asleep in my clothes," she added lightly, picking up her boots. "Now, my brother, let's go catch ourselves a killer."

So Anakin's had another dream. Uh-oh! Anyway, thanks for reading and please review!