With mixed expectations Padmé reached for the door and cautiously opened it. 'Maybe it isn't Anakin,' she thought, trying to placate her beating heart.
"Hi!" Captain Thauleed said. He stood a small distance from the door holding a huge bouquet of flowers. She stared, not knowing what to say.
'He's not here!' She thought; surprised not at the fact that Vader had jilted her but at the unexpectedly profound disappointment that suddenly gripped her-though she did not admit it as such to her self.
'I just want to get it over with.' She thought, 'it's not that I miss him.' She told herself.
Suddenly the doorway darkened as a tall figure stepped in front of the Captain. His black cape bellowed out behind him, momentarily blocking the blue sky altogether before settling back behind him.
Padmé stepped back with a startled gasp, but caught her self when she realized who it was.
"Hello, my pretty, seems you missed me!" Vader said with a cocky grin that stretched all the way to Correlia.
For a moment she stared uncertainly at the handsome man standing before her, his head framed by the blue-cotton tree behind him. The breeze nudged a lock of blond hair into his eyes and he flicked it away with a quick shake of his head. He was not wearing his usual military uniform but a thin, almost transparent, loose fitting white shirt with long puffed sleeves buttoned at the wrist and jet black trousers.
She cursed inwardly as her already racing pulse surged a notch higher. She couldn't believe this was the same man, she'd met before. Not even the man she'd met on her 'balm night.' Somehow her hate and bias had distorted his image in her mind so much so that she hardly recognized her husband as he stood expectantly for her to invite him inside.
"May I come in or are you going to shoot me down with those eyes all day."
"Uh huh! Come in!" She stuttered stepping back gingerly then adding a shaky smile as an after thought.
Vader reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. "That smile suits you so much better." He remarked as he placed a light kiss on her fingers.
"Thank… you." She said in a voice that felt alien; too soft and demure for the independent minded Padmé that she knew. The electricity that shot from fingers to toes that was generated by the touch of his lips didn't make matters any easier.
In a daze she led them inside to the little alcove into which the main door opened and from where an opening led to the family lounge, the door to the back garden too led out from here.
After setting the bouquet on a nearby table, Captain Thauleed stood behind Vader and reached for his cape. "No Captain!" Vader said. "My wife will do me that honor. You may go back to the base, get the men ready and wait for me."
The Captain saluted and stepped back out. Padmé began to move behind him to remove the cape, but he caught her wrist and pulled her back before him and pointed to his throat, to the small chain that held the cape in place.
Padmé began to fumble with the clasp; her fingers were suddenly stiff and clumsy. To make matters worse the alcove was dark and the little light coming from a small window was behind the tall Sith so that she struggled in his shadow.
Vader lowered his head and took a long whiff of her scent.
"Did you miss me?" He whispered, his hand coming up and touching her elbow.
"A little!" Padmé admitted, trying not to flinch at his touch.
"A little!" He hissed pulling her close," All those enquiries and calls asking for me, what was that about?" He said in a tone that did not fail to excite her in a very unfamiliar way. Padmé gulped, her mind racing to come up with something. She did not want to appear disdainful nor did she want to appear too eager. Absent mindedly she fumbled with the clasp and fairly jumped when she felt Vader's hand slide along her back.
She tried to move away but he wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her to him. "Tell me!" He cajoled putting a gloved finger under her chin and lifting it to him.
Padmé was in a daze as she stared back, loosing herself in the blue swirl of his eyes-and she felt her self slip, her eye-lids felt heavy and her lips parted as she tried to breath but somehow forgot how to.
Slowly, and with a mischievous smile playing on his lips he brought his face close to hers. Padmé saw it coming but she was too weak to fight the currents pulling at her. She felt his lips brush against hers; What could she do? Other than to grab at fistfuls of his shirt and hold onto to dear life? His lips lingered on hers until he felt her respond. She felt herself float away; she was nothing but a wisp of smoke as she weaved and danced lazily through the morning air. Vader felt her sag in his arms as her resistance wilted. Her head lolled back and Vader had to bend over her so that his cape came cascading around him to enclosed her fully within.
"Ah! Lord Vader!" A voice exclaimed from behind. The two lovers jumped away.
"Gracious me!" Jobal muttered wide eyed. She didn't know why her son-in-law would suddenly jump up so ungracefully, till he moved aside and she saw her daughter in his shadows-a daughter very much ill at ease.
"I'm sorry, did I interrupt something…I er." Jobal stammered. "Lunch is set and I was wondering what was keeping you?" She said apologetically turning to Vader.
But Padmé spoke before Vader could reply. "No, mother it was nothing, I was just trying to undo Anakin's cape and I just couldn't…"
Jobal smiled widely and pushed a button on the wall and the alcove lit up brightly. "I understand sweetheart," She said with a wide grin that spoke volumes, "You don't have to apologize for anything, take your time we'll be waiting."
Padmé was red in the face and Vader who had been rather chagrined at the interruption now chuckled at her discomfort.
"Well!" He said turning back to her and pointing to the chain at his neck, "now you can see." Padmé turned to the job and had it undone in a second keeping her eyes well away from Vader's probing stare.
They entered the dining room, hand in hand, Padmé leading him inside shyly. She avoided looking at all the curios looks from her family and friends seated around the dining table. Not that holding ones husband's hand was frowned upon but her earlier grand assurances that she would put him in his place and her talk of not being eager for him, that was what had actually got the gathering so surprised at her present coyness and-as some would surely suspected from the blush on her cheeks-her eagerness.
Ruwee greeted his son-in-law personally, to the others Vader offered a small nod of the head and then they were all seated at the table.
