Chapter 52
"Ani, I've been so worried!" Padmé said, taking his face in her hands. "Where did this come from?" she asked, touching the scar over his eye gently. "Did this happen in the crash?" she asked with a frown.
"Yes," he told her. "I got a little impatient with the bandages."
She shook her head. "Are you okay now? You said you'd lost your memory."
"I did," he replied. "But it's been coming back slowly. In fact…."
He was prevented from continuing by a mob of race fans who had approached them and surrounded Anakin. They were so excited by his thrilling victory that they slapped him on the back and shook his hand, all wanting to be close to the hero who had done what no human had ever done before.
"Padmé!" Anakin called as the crowd pulled him away from her and towards the royal box.
Padmé was helpless to prevent the crowd from taking Anakin away, and could only watch as they brought him to collect his prize.
"Where are they taking him?" Sola asked as she reached her sister.
Padmé shook her head. "I don't know," she replied.
"They're probably taking him to collect his money," Jonn suggested as he joined them. "There were a lot of bets on this race," he told Padmé. "The purse is bound to be a big one."
"Anakin doesn't need money," Sola commented, "why would he take such a chance unnecessarily?"
"Until recently Anakin didn't know who he was or who his wife was," Frann explained. "He was trying to make enough money to buy passage off of the planet."
"But he sent me the message two days ago," Padmé put in. "And yet he competed today anyway. Surely he must have realized I would come for him."
"He wasn't entirely sure, to be honest," Jonn told her. "He wasn't sure what the status of your relationship was, actually."
"But I'd say it's pretty clear how you two feel about one another," Mari said with a smile.
Padmé smiled, watching as Anakin entered the royal box. "I suppose so," she replied. "I've been lost without him," she added, her eyes not leaving Anakin.
Mara and Enna, who had reluctantly joined the adults, looked at one another in annoyance. Padmé noticed the exchange, and turned her attention to the girls.
"I must thank you all for taking such good care of him," she said.
"Enna here found him," Jonn said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Saw the ship crash, didn't you?"
Enna nodded.
"You found him?" Padmé asked the girl.
"Well, me and my dad," she replied. "He wanted to come to the race, but it's the harvest and he couldn't get away."
Padmé nodded in understanding. "I want to thank you for helping him, Enna," she said. "If you hadn't done so, he might not be alive today."
Enna smiled, charmed by Padmé despite her childlike envy of her. "Sky is really a cool guy," she said. "I liked helping him."
"Sky?" Padmé asked, "is that what you've been calling him?"
"Well he didn't know his own name in the beginning," Frann explained. "That's all he could remember. Sky."
"Skywalker," Padmé replied. "Of course. So he remembered his name on his own then? His memory is intact now?"
"Not quite," Cedler said. "Although he remembers some things, others are still foggy. I think the first thing he remembered was your name, actually," he told Padmé with a smile.
"Really?" Padmé replied, moved to hear it.
Frann nodded. "Yes, there's been no doubt all along about his devotion to you."
Mara expelled a loud breath at this point, having heard more than she could bear. Everyone turned and looked at her, for her expulsion had been louder than she'd planned it to be.
"Oh don't mind my cousin," Enna said, enjoying Mara's embarrassment. "She's got the hots for Anakin big time."
Padmé merely smiled as the young woman's face turned a bright shade of red. Mara gave Enna a dirty look before storming off.
"I suppose you're used to that," Mari said. "Anakin is an attractive man."
Padmé shrugged. "It's never been an issue, really," she replied.
"Well that's only because he's so madly in love with you," Sola put in, linking her arm through Padmé's.
Padmé smiled, and looked up towards the royal box. "I wonder what's taking so long?" she asked.
Royal box
"Well, well, I never thought I'd see you again," Jabba said to Anakin as the crowd presented him to the Hutt gangster.
Although he understood the language of the Hutt, Anakin did not remember him. "Do we know one another?" he asked.
Jabba was surprised by the question, and then laughed loudly, making his large rolls of flab jiggle.
"Okay, okay," Jabba said through his laughter. "Have it your way, Skywalker. You don't want to remember? That's fine with me. You made me a lot of money today," he continued. "A human who can handle a pod racer is rare enough, but one that can win the race, that's priceless."
Anakin merely shrugged in response, anxious to get back to his wife.
"How would you like to work for me, Skywalker?" Jabba asked. "I'd split the money you make with me. I'd give you thirty percent, how does that sound?"
"I'm not interested," Anakin said. "Thanks anyway."
Jabba frowned, and let a loud fart escape to show his displeasure. "Thirty not enough, eh?" he said at last. "Okay…thirty-five."
Anakin shook his head.
"Forty! And that's it, Skywalker," Jabba grunted.
Anakin smiled. "Look, Jabba," he said. "It's not the money; it's just that I have no desire to stay here. I have a wife, we're expecting twins. My life is elsewhere, Jabba."
Jabba sighed loudly, and nodded his enormous head. "A pity," he said. "You'd have made me a lot of money, Skywalker. But, you're a free man, I can't force to you stay." He turned to his assistant and motioned for him to come forward. "Here's your money," he said. "You earned it. I threw in a bonus for getting rid of that sleemo Charra for me too."
Anakin wanted to laugh, but sensed that Jabba wasn't joking. "That's very generous of you," he said, taking the money. "Thank you."
Jabba nodded, and then waved him away. Anakin turned to leave, glancing down at the wad of money in his hand. It seemed strange and extraneous to him now, now that his wife had come to bring him home.
The crowd of fans had begun to disperse when Anakin emerged from the royal box. He took a moment to stop and count the money, astonished by how much it was. I don't need this money, he thought to himself as he made his way down to the seats once more; but I know someone who does.
"Here he comes now," Jonn said as he saw Anakin approaching them.
Padmé, who had been sitting down, stood up at once and looked over in the direction Jonn was looking in. The sight of him sent a thrill through her, and she smiled, still hardly able to believe he was truly there.
Padmé simply watched him as he approached, sensing that there was something different about him now. Part of it was his appearance, she realized as she noted how blond the suns had bleached his hair, which was now longer than she'd ever seen it and tied up behind his head. He was more tanned than he'd been as well. But there was something intangible about him that was different as well, and Padmé wasn't sure if it was his loss of memory, the accident, or the dire situation he'd found himself in that had caused the change; but whatever the reason, it was undeniable.
"Look at that wad of cash!" Cedler said as Anakin reached them. He gave a whoop of excitement and slapped Anakin on the back. "Way to go, son!"
Anakin smiled, and handed it to Cedler. "Here," he said. "I don't need this," he told him. "Divide it up among yourselves, including Kaleb."
"Anakin, you earned this!" Jonn said, shocked by the young man's generosity. "You worked so hard for this money!"
"I couldn't have done it without all of you," Anakin replied. "Besides, I don't need it. I'm sure you could all use it more than me."
"Anakin, that's very generous of you," Frann said. "But at least keep some of it," she insisted. "Please."
Anakin looked at his wife who merely smiled. "Very well," he said. "I'll keep some for my mother."
"Good idea," Padmé replied.
Anakin smiled, walking over to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Right now, however, I think we ought to take our friends out for a celebratory dinner," he said. "What do you think?" he asked, looking down at her.
"I think maybe you need to get washed up first," she teased, brushing some more of the dirt from his face.
"I second the motion," Frann piped up.
Anakin laughed. "Okay, I can see I'm out numbered," he said.
Padmé laughed too, and wrapped her arms around his waist, not caring how dirty he was. He was alive, he was uninjured, and that's all that mattered.
After Anakin had a quick clean up at the home of Jonn and Frann Mendosa, the large group headed to the only restaurant in Mos Espa for a celebratory meal. Jonn had contacted his brother and sister-in-law who made the trip up to join in the celebration. Captain Typho, however, feeling that he had done his duty and was feeling rather like a fish out of water, had chartered a ship back to Naboo. Sola had opted to go with him, feeling badly for having left her young children so suddenly. Padmé had tried to convince them to stay, but both had politely declined.
Had Sola stayed, she would have found herself something of a fifth wheel, however. Anakin and Padmé were totally oblivious of everyone around them as they reconnected, even though all around them the three families were having a boisterously good time. They only had eyes for one another, the joy of being reunited superseding everything else around them.
"We ought to go see your mother," Padmé told him. "She's worried about you."
"She knows what happened?" he asked.
"All she knows is that you went missing," she told him. "I came here when you first disappeared, thinking you may have come here first. But she hadn't heard from you."
Anakin nodded, still somewhat foggy about the circumstances that landed him here in the first place. "Why don't we go tonight?" he suggested. "Maybe seeing her will help trigger more memories."
"I'm sure it will," she said with a smile. She couldn't help but notice the intensity of the way he was looking at her. "And maybe when we're alone some other memories will come back to you," she added.
Anakin nodded. "Yes, I was thinking that too," he said, running a finger down the side of her face. "I've been dreaming of you almost every night I've been here," he told her. "And I have to tell you, some of the dreams I've had…" he stopped, shaking his head in amazement. "Wow."
Padmé smiled. "Dreams? Or memories?" she asked.
Anakin raised his eyebrows. "Well, I'm hoping they were memories," he said with a smile. "I suppose in time I'll know for sure."
"Yes, I'm sure," she said. It was all both of them could do to keep their hands to themselves, for they were both in desperate need of the other. But they were not alone, and they were in public, and their friends were there in their honor. So they did their best to engage in the festivities, all the while anxious to be alone with one another.
"Are you sure you won't spend the night?" Frann asked when they returned to the house later on.
"No, I'm anxious to see my mother," Anakin said. "Padmé tells me that she's very worried. I want to let her know I'm okay."
"That's understandable," Jonn commented. "Where is she?"
Anakin looked at his wife, realizing that he didn't know where she was.
"Not far from Mos Eisley," Padmé told them.
"We'll come back before we leave Tatooine to say goodbye," Anakin told them.
"Well I hope so," Frann said with a smile. "You've become like one of the family, Anakin. We'll really miss you when you leave."
Anakin smiled. "I'll miss all of you as well," he told her. He looked back at Padmé. "All set?" he asked.
Padmé nodded. "Yes," she said. "The ship is at the space port."
"That's not far," he told her. "Let's go before it gets dark."
After saying goodnight to their friends, Anakin and Padmé left the Mendosa house, heading for the Mos Espa space port.
