AU: This chapter has a little spicy moment towards the end just a heads up if you aren't comfortable with that. It nothing crazy, but just wanted you guys to be aware.
After switching ships to something a little smaller and less noticeable. They made there way over to the place they would be staying at. Padme looked around with everyone waiting to see where they were going. She looked around and noticed everything still looked the same. The same busy traffic and huge towering buildings.
"Different than Tatooine isn't it?" Anakin said to Luke.
Padme looked over and saw the shocked looked at her son's face. She always forgot out of all of them, Luke never really got to see much besides Tatooine.
"Definitely less sand." Luke said causing them all to laugh.
She smiled looking around knowing this is what she also wanted a family of her own and she has one now. It didn't start out the way she wanted it, but it was still a family non the less.
She looked around and saw they were getting closer to the Senate building and the old Jedi Temple. She noticed all the building getting taller and more prestigious. She noticed they were getting closer to her old apartment.
"Wow. 500 Republica never thought I would be staying here. Usually my kind is more welcomed down below." Han said.
Padme looked over at Anakin and noticed he had a huge grin on his face.
"My dad had a place here. When I was doing Senate related stuff, I was allowed to stay here." Leia said.
"Probably cause most of these apartments are for Senators. Anakin are we going to where I think we are going?" Padme asked, but before he could answer Han pulled them up to the small docking area in front of her old apartment.
Everyone quickly walked out and Padme sat there just looking at everything. Never did she think she would be back here.
"Are you coming?" Anakin said extending his hand.
Padme took his hand, but was speechless. Memories of a different life coming back to her.
"How do we get past the energy shield, Anakin?" Han asked.
"I think Padme can figure that out." Anakin said smiling over to her.
"My code is still the same?" She asked.
"Everything is the same. After thinking you were dead, I couldn't imagine anyone else living here, so I bought it. This is the first time I've been here since than, so it's probably a little dusty. But other than that, everything should be the same as you left it."
She walked over to the pin pan and punched in her code. A code she knew no one would ever guess, her and Anakin's anniversary.
The energy shields went down and they all walked into the veranda. She looked at everything and Anakin was right. Every painting and statue was right where it should be. She looked around remembering the last time she was here, she sat that that very couch as Obi-wan told her the love of her life turned to the dark side. She refused to believe it. She couldn't, until she saw him with her own eyes.
She looked over at Anakin and it almost like that awful time didn't happen. He truly was becoming her Anakin again.
"Now this is definitely better than what we have been sleeping in." Han said looking at everything.
"This was your apartment wasn't it?" Leia asked.
"Yes. It's been over twenty years, since I've even stepped foot in here." Padme said.
"You don't think this will be the first place the Emperor is going to look? Seems a little obvious to me.." Han asked.
"Well for one, I don't think he would think we would actually stay some place so obvious and two it's not like he doesn't know we are already here. He is waiting for us to attack him. That is what he wants." Anakin said.
"Fine with me. It's better than sleeping on those lousy beds back on base." Han said stretching.
Padme looked out the window and saw the sun was setting. "There there are a couple guest rooms here, let me show you." She said walking over to the stairs with Luke, Han, and Leia following. She noticed Anakin wasn't following, but looking out at the city. "Are you coming Anakin?"
"I think I remember where everything is." He smiled at her. "But I'll probably stay on the couch. Like I said, I don't really sleep a whole lot anyways."
"Oh, oh yes. Of course." She said walking away hoping he didn't here the disappointment in her voice. There is only one time she can think of where he didn't sleep with her when he was here and that was the first night he was assigned to protect her when the attempts on her life started.
Anakin stood on the balcony for the past couple hours, unable to sleep. He figured the only good thing was someone would be awake if there was an attack, but he figure Palpatine wouldn't do that. He wanted them to come to him. This was a game to him and he was just waiting for us to make the first move. They need to be wise about their attack or else he could turn the Senate and the galaxy against them like he did with the Jedi.
He shut his eyes, thinking back to that awful night. He could hear the sound of boots stomping up the stairs leading into the Jedi temple. He could hear the sound of lightsabers and blasters going off. The worse thing he heard was the screams of the youngling he killed in the Temple. The youngling who were already so frighten and asked him for help.
"You must learn to forgive yourself." He heard a voice say. An all too familiar voice, but that was impossible. He was dead. He was another life on Vader hands.
He opened his eyes and looked over and saw his old Master, only it was like he wasn't fully here in person. There was glow surrounding him and he looked like a ghost. He looked at the man. He noticed all his features were there and he walked like any other living thing would walk, but he could tell he wasn't in a human form.
"I,I don't understand. How is this possible?" Anakin thought thinking maybe he was dreaming.
"I told you if you striked me down, I would only become more powerful." Obi-wan said.
"Is it really you?" Anakin asked.
"Yes. It took me years to master, but I have become one with the force, just as Master Yoda has and Master Qui Gon." Obi-Wan. "Didn't Luke tell you about this?"
"Luke mentioned seeing you, but honestly I thought maybe he was loosing it. I never knew of this power, either from the dark or light side." Anakin said.
"No, you wouldn't learn it from the dark side and very few knew of it back then." Obi-Wan told him.
"Why are you here right now?" Anakin asked.
"Like I told you, you need to learn to forgive yourself. You will never truly rid the darkness, if you do not." Obi-wan answered.
"Forgive myself? How can you expect me to forgive my self? After everything I've done, you should be hear to kill me or something. I-I've killed so many. I've killed people I trusted my life with and so many innocent lives." He said as everything he has done the past many years started to hit him. He felt the tears running down his face and he didn't care anymore. "I hurt my family. I hurt Padme, Luke, Leia, and even you."
"I supposed you did and you must learn to live with that. I told you back on Mustafar that I failed you and at the time I didn't really understand, but over the years I see I did fail you. The whole Jedi order failed you, actually. I'm most to blame thought. I saw how different you were, starting the order so old, but I choose to look past certain things, like your feelings for Padme. Then when I wanted to say something, the war got in the way. Then when I noticed you getting worse,I left you. I left to go on a mission, when you could have told me about the dreams and I could have helped. No, I should have helped you, instead I lead you right into Palpatine's hand. I ,along with the council, used to as a pawn to get closer to Palpatine. We failed you and our arrogance was just as much to blame for everything as yours." Obi-wan told him.
Anakin tried processing all the words his old master was saying to him. "It was my fault. I broke the rules and fell in love. I married Padme, which lead to her getting pregnant and me doing everything I could to save her. It was my own choices that led to my down fall. My own arrogance, that made the Jedi not trust me."
"I too almost left the order for someone before. The Jedi were wrong to deny attachment and feelings. It is human nature and as much as a bad thing it can be, it clearly is also a good time. The love of your family turned you back, something no one has ever seen done before." Obi-Wan said.
"The love of my family. I ruined that. Luke is the only one that loves and I'm not even sure why after everything. Leia wouldn't even look at me and who can blame her after I tortured her and Han. And Padme," He sighed." I did all this for her and I lost her. She no longer loves me and I don't think I will ever be able to gain her trust back." Anakin said.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that last part." Obi-wan said.
"What?" Anakin said looking at where Obi-Wan once stood and saw he was gone. He looked around and saw he was alone again, until he felt her presence. He turned around and saw Padme walking over to him wearing a robe and looking as breathe-taking as always.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you. I couldn't sleep and I thought I heard voices." She said.
"It's fine. Your presence is soothing. It always has been." He told her and watched as she slowly stepped towards her. He could see her trembling from here. " Are you alright? Are you cold?"
"I'm fine. It's actually a nice night and too be honestly after staying on Hoth for as long as I did, I don't think I'll ever be cold again." Padme said laughing softly, making Anakin's knees go weak at the sound.
"I agree it actually feels nice to have fresh air, sunshine, and just everything touch my skin again." Anakin said thinking back to his days in that awful suit.
"Anakin." She said as he turned towards her. He saw she was biting her lip and seemed nervous about something. He figured it was towards him and as he was about to say something to her, she grabbed his hand. "Come with me."
He followed her not caring where she was talking him. He was just happy to be touching her hand. He looked up and saw she was bring him to her room, well their room. He walked ahead as she let go of his hand and shut the door.
"Umm, do you need help with something?" He asked running his hand through his hand not sure what was happening.
She walked closer to him and he saw she was still trembling. "I have been alone for over twenty years now and being back in this room and not sharing it with you doesn't feel right. Even if you didn't get to sleep here with me as much as I would have liked, you always made this apartment feel more like home."
Anakin was speechless not sure what to say.
"Ani, I know I told you I didn't love you, but that was lie. I lied to you and myself. I have loved you, since you came back into my life as those years ago and I love you now since the moment you came back again." Padme said grabbing his hand.
"Padme, I thought you didn't want to do this." Anakin whispered, not believing what was happening, afraid it was a dream or some awful trick.
He watched as she moved both there hands together and grabbed the ribbon tying the robe together. Using both their hands, she pulled the ribbon and robe fell off exposing her naked body.
Anakin's eyes grew huge. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen her like this.
"Padme are you sure?" He stuttered out.
She looked up at him with her large brown eyes ,before slowly moving her hands to his pants, giving him his answer.
He cupped her face and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. He was afraid this was a dream and he never wanted to let go. He felt her hands move to his hair as his pants fell to the ground. He quickly took off his shirt and brought her to their bed. Where for the first time in years, they made love and it was like they have never been apart.