Chapter 46

Location: Padme and Sabe Apartment

Month: 2 Day 17 Year 27

Padme' keeps her eyes pinned on the carrots she's currently chopping up. She chews on her lip as she tries to chop them as the recipe on her datapad requires. The thumping of the knife in her hands continues until she reaches the edge of the carrot. She swipes the smaller pieces of carrots into the pot she had thrown on her stove. The water continues to boil at a high temperature and she sniffs the air, hoping the aroma would be pleasant. What she finds is a decent smell, but still needs a few spices in the stew.

Ashoka sniffs the air behind the barstool she is perched in. She is bent over her own datapad and tries to splice through a few more of the pieces of data left behind on the copy from Rush's datapad. There were only a few more files to go through and sadly they hadn't found any damning evidence against him in the matter of his involvement with poisoning her or the attempt on her life. They had damning evidence of how many affairs he had had with women, but it was not useful. They would have to infiltrate his office for any other evidence. But what if there wasn't evidence there as well? Ashoka hoped for their sake there was enough evidence to tie how or why Rush had felt threatened enough to create the hit on her and their child.

Corde had provided them with some evidence, but that hadn't gone the way Ashoka had thought it would. Padme' had discussed bringing her into the authorities and confessing to the crime of poisoning her and her baby. But to Ashoka's surprise, all Padme' had come back with was a recording of the conversation and when asked where Corde' was, she didn't respond. Perhaps it was better she didn't know what had happened to her. However, Ashoka yearned to know, especially after patrols had found a homeless woman's body the next morning. She wanted to know why her friend had lied to her or what her reasoning for changing her mind was.

" I've been meaning to ask you, what happened that night with Corde'?" Ashoka's blue eyes peer up at her friend busily cutting up some onions.

Padme' shrugs and states, " You heard the recording. She thinks Rush had been blackmailed into poisoning me."

Ashoka places the datapad down on the bar and adds, " Yes, I heard the recording. I want to know why you murdered her."

Padme' continues to dice up the onions on her cutting board. The knife hitting the onions and juices flying everywhere. Honestly Padme' knew the reason why she had murdered Corde'. It was justice for her daughter's life. She had pretended to be her friend- to be her confidant. Corde' had even helped her pick out some of the bedding for her daughter's room. Padme' had looked past that Corde' had become her husband's lover after she had pulled away from everyone. She didn't blame Rush for reaching out to another woman's bed. She hadn't been willingly coming to his bed other than the two times on their honeymoon. At the time, she thought he was dealing with his own feelings of losing the child too, but now- she knows there was never a caring bone in his body. He had desired to possess her- body, mind and soul- and soon she'd be officially free from him.

She had another hearing to go to in a week to finalize what property and such things would be going to her and him and the court would officalize the documents and all would be over. She'd be free to live her life and enjoy all parts of it, including taking him down slowly. She wanted to wait and find the damning evidence against him and then release the evidence against him. She had hoped that his personal datapad had contained some sort of evidence of his communication with Corde'. Without it, she has nothing. Corde's recording wouldn't be enough evidence to prove that he had been involved in poisoning her and her daughter.

She puts the onions in the stew and answers simply, " I didn't want to tell you my original plan because you would have tried to stop me."

Ashoka narrows her eyes and snaps, " Of course I would have, murdering someone in cold blood is a crime."

Padme' turns to her friend with her eyes showing how perfectly calm she is. " It was justice Ashoka. She was the one who gave me the poison in my drink or food. She deliberately tried to be rid of me and my child. A life for a life, it's that simple."

Ashoka knows her friend wanted justice for her daughter's death. She couldn't comprehend what kind of pain and agony she had been through a year ago. The recording had proven that Rush had been blackmailed because of someone discovering the child wasn't his, why Padme' protected the father of her former child, Ashoka didn't know. She never mentioned him, nor anything about the day she lost her daughter. Ashoka figured it was too painful for her to mention.

" She should have been brought to justice, Padme'. I promised to help you in taking Rush down for trying to kill you, but murdering someone else involved- I didn't want to be part of." Ashoka claims, her voice tight with emotion.

Padme' slams the knife down and snaps, " Well you're part of this now. You were okay with murdering Rush, but not the woman who fed me the poison that almost killed me? Ashoka the double sword your holding can't be both ways. You're either with me or against me- that's it."

Ashoka shakes her head and snips out, " I don't have a choice now. I've heard the recording. You've confessed to me that you murdered her in cold blood. I can't turn you in without turning myself in. You have to promise me to try to keep the body count low. The more bodies that pile up on your trail, the easier it will be to trace back to you. I don't agree with your methods, but I promised to help bring him down."

Padme' nods , ending the conversation. She turns back to her stew. She had plans tonight to cook dinner for her friend. He had the night off and had agreed to have dinner at her place. Sabe' had decided to stay at Ben's after hearing that Anakin was coming over for dinner. Not that Padme' had to beg and plead for her to allow them to have the apartment alone. Sabe' had gladly called Ben to inform him that she needed to spend the night. He hadn't objected.

Sabe' and Ben had practically been living together for the past few days. Sabe' had taken her clothes over there the past few nights. Padme' had been glad that her sister hadn't been home the night she had come home dressed as Raven.

The air smells savory with the vegetables stewing in the pot. Padme' stirs the boiling mixture in silence. She didn't know what else to say to Ashoka, so keeping the silence was enough. Ashoka sighs after several minutes within her own thoughts. She announces, " Unfortunately, there isn't anything useful to connect Rush to either attempt on your life which means I need to inquire into the security system of the Senate Rotunda and his office. You're going to need to study his work patterns the next few weeks so we can play accordingly."

Padme' nods without saying anymore. She had thought this would happen after Ashoka had told her of the few files left from the copy. She pulls a spoonful of the stew up and blows on it carefully. She sips at the broth and winces a bit at the heat coming from the broth.

" It needs more salt." She mumbles to herself as if this normal night.

Ashoka lifts her eyebrows and questions, " Why are you going to great lengths of cooking dinner for him?"

Padme' reaches for the salt shaker and tilts a generous amount of salt into her hand. She sprinkles it into the stew and stirs it quickly to allow it time to blend together. She claims, " It's his first night off since he's been back at the Academy. I thought it would be nice for us to have dinner and then watch a movie. We haven't had time by ourselves in a long time."

Ashoka's mouth curls into a small smile adding, " Sure sounds like a date. What are you planning on wearing?"

Padme tilts her head to the side and sighs. Sabe had said the same thing when she had mentioned Anakin was going to come over and have dinner and spend the night. She knew they were not blind to the way they had been acting around each other.

" I'm still trying to divorice my first husband. It wouldn't be a good idea to jump into another relationship."

Ashoka chuckles a bit and claims, " It's pretty obvious you two should try to date. Baby steps- consider thinking of this as your first date. Consider changing into a proper outfit you'd wear on a date."

Padme' peers down at her black slacks and navy shirt. She had been cooking in these items for hours now and she hadn't been planning on changing out of them. Anakin didn't care about her appearance- hell he sure as hadn't the other day when she had planned on ravaging him in the women's locker room.

Ashoka puts her hands on her hips and claims, " At least change into a different pair of slacks and shirt. Nothing fancy- casual dinner."

Padme' sighs and eyes the clock. She had less than an hour to change and kick Ashoka out to prepare. She mumbles out, " Fine, but you need to go if I'm going to shower and change in 45 minutes."

Ashoka's grin widens. She picks up her datapa and states, " I'll be out of your hair. Enjoy your date."

Padme rolls her eyes and lets out a breath she had been holding. She mumbles under her breath, " It's not a date."

Ashoka's only response is to chuckle as she exited through the kitchen and to grab her stuff before leaving the apartment.

It hadn't mattered what she had chosen to wear, because it hadn't taken more than a greeting for either of them to shed themselves of their clothes. They hadn't spoken the entire time as they had rejoiced in seeing each other after three days apart.

Their mix of laughter echoes against the walls as they recount days gone by as children. Her chocolate orbs gaze at him with joy as she remembers a time long ago.

" As I recall it had been your brilliant plan to use the metal trays from the kitchens to slide down the top of the railings of the balcony," She recalls humor glinting in her eyes.

Her laughter is contagious as he replies, "Hey! The look on Katrina's face was priceless. Your father seemed to suggest using the hills of the nearby meadow if I remember right."

She chuckles again and clutches onto the thin throw blanket covering her chest and bare waist from his view. " I don't doubt my father would suggest that to you. He always seemed to allow me to be drawn into your dark twisty plans."

He smirks and murmurs, " True, though I do recall a few of those dark twisty plans were yours- including the first time we got drunk together."

She shrugs and her stomach rumbles, reminding her of the stew she had worked on for five hours early that afternoon. She sniffs the air. The stew would still be at least warm from sitting on the stove for over an hour off the burner.

She smiles and suggests, " I'm starving so if you'll excuse me, I'm going to grab a bowl of the stew I've spent hours on."

Anakin's own stomach rumbles, reminding him of skipping lunch as he sits up, reaching for his pants. He pulls them on and offers his hand to her. She smiles and responds, " Thank you Inquisitor."

He watches her as she sayshays into the kitchen with only the throw blanket covered over her body- just a reminder of how he had yearned for her for those agonizing three days after their rendezvous plans had been rain checked over some designer, which Anakin couldn't really understand. The best friend he had grown up with hadn't ever really cared about fashion, and the idea that Ashoka had been interested in joining her on his mission to find a designer seemed out of place. But he didn't need to worry, did he? It wasn't like Padme' was on some sort of revenge quest. He chuckles to himself and shakes the thoughts out of his mind. The idea that his best friend could kill someone on purpose other than the one time of defending herself was out of the question. She is a bit darker now, but she wouldn't truly try to take someone's life on purpose.

He follows the aroma into the kitchen and eyes his best friend pouring herself a bowl of steamy stew. She hands him the bowl and a spoon as well. He gingerly inhales the scents of the carrots, onions, meat and other spices. His mouth savors the taste of the dish. Anakin knew this dish well- it is Ruwee's roast stew recipe which he had made each year on their annual camping trips to the cabin near the Lake Retreat.

He hears a soft sigh escape her lips as she tastes the liquid in her bowl. His eyes lift to meet hers and she says, " I haven't had this since-"

He finishes her sentence, " Since our last trip there three years ago."

He takes another spoonful as she remembers, " Father thought we were too old to go back there the following year. I remember swimming out to the lake on our last night there with you and Sabes."

He smiles as a thought occurs to him. " Why don't we go back in the summer? I'll have some time off after graduation."

Her smile doesn't reach her eyes as she tries to think of a response. She hadn't told him yet of the issue with the property. She was supposed to inherit it when she married Rush but he had decided to keep it in his name after they had married and she hadn't known that then. She had been too preoccupied by preparing for their child at the time. The property was one of the arguments they had had on more than one meeting between them and their lawyers. Rush had been willing to give her the wardrobe she had been given during their marriage and include back fees for alimony, but he knew how to hurt her. He knew how much the island and cabin meant to her.

" I doubt we'll ever be allowed on the island again," She says with a hint of disgust.

Anakin's blond brows furrowed in confusion. She continues, " Rush is holding the property, not including my inherited credits from my mother which father had been holding onto until I married. It was all to go to me and my children, but Rush had it all changed over into his name after we married. I was not aware of this until our dispute began at our meetings a few months ago."

He crosses his arms and suggests, " There has to be a way he'll provide them to you."

She sighs and mumbles, " I doubt it. He knows what things I care about and what I don't. I don't even care if I get back my mother's money. I'd rather have that island and cabin."

He points out, " But the money left behind from your mother is supposed to be for you and your children P."

She sips her spoon some more listening to his thoughts. She replies carefully, not trying to tread on another argument with one of the people on her side at the moment. " It doesn't matter if that money is ever returned to me."

His head tilts to the side as he tries to think of a way she can retain her lands and inheritance with his help. But his thoughts halt to a grinding halt hearing her response. He sets his bowl down on the counter and questions, " Why would it not matter? You want to pass on your legacy to your children right?"

She sets her own bowl down and bites her lip, which he knows is a sign of her unsureness of saying something that has been left unsaid. She murmurs softly, " I don't plan on passing my legacy to anyone other than my nieces or nephews Ani."

He swallows as the pain seeps into his heart. The hope of having a future with her dies within his mind. He had hoped that if she were ever open up to the idea of a relationship perhaps she would want more children in the future. She loved her niece and nephew.

He restates her comment. " You're saying you don't plan on having any more children."

She nods solemnly and murmurs, " It's not that I medically can't. I just don't want to ever feel the pain of losing another child. I won't survive it. I barely survived Annika's passing. I don't know if anyone can understand my reasonings but I hope you'll respect them. I didn't want to lie to you in case this-" She points between her and him. " Continues."

He swallows and nods trying to suppress the hurt he's feeling. He blocks his feelings from their bond as he had been able to do. His powers within the force are stronger than hers so it could be glamoured for a short time. He replies, " I respect your decision and know losing her wasn't easy on either of us. And I hope whatever is between us continues."

She comes forward and squeezes his hand and murmurs, " Thank you for understanding my wishes."

He nods without responding to her murmur. In his heart, he doesn't understand- or he does and would rather lie to himself and ponder on that hope of having a family with her one day echo in his mind.

He changes the subject by asking, " So, I've been invited to Admiral Jinn's annual party at his estate. I'm allowed to bring a plus one and wondered if you would go with me."

Padme' smiles and murmurs, " Wouldn't it be a bit scandalous of you to show up with a woman who isn't divorced?"

He clears the space between them and touches her cheek. The warmth of his hand spreads through her entire body as he whispers, " I don't care what they think, they can go to Sith Hells before I care about my reputation."

She touches the top of his hand and murmurs, " Then I'll gladly attend this event with you."

He pulls her in and kisses her lips murmuring, " Good, I'd rather not have to take Ashoka."

Padme' laughs softly, murmurs, " No, she'd turn you down and ask you to take Ben first."

He nods and suggests, " True."

To Be Continued.