Fearing Him Yet Craving Him

by one of the lost

While on a goodwill mission to a backwater planet, Senator Amidala meets a dangerous man that she falls for while they fight for their lives. Years later, she meets him again, but is terrified of him, and is forced to remain with him against her will. Ultimately, the unlikely pair are thrust into an adventure yet again, but deadlier. Will she grow to love him? Vaderdala.

1. Chapter 1

A/N: First and foremost, I'd like to say for those of you reading, "A Light Through Her Darkness", that story will be worked on primarily with this one being updated maybe once a month or so until the other is finished.

This is another alternate universe story, with more of an original take. It's rated appropriately for mature content, but it won't be incredibly dark, it'll just have some dark moments. I'm not going to give away too many details, other than what was in the narrative. This chapter will be a little long as it has to set up some important elements, but I sincerely hope that you enjoy it.

Prologue/Chapter One

The planet of Kashyyyk was savagely untamed with an inexplicably resplendent quality about it. No other planet Padmé had been on in her twenty one years of age held the same enchantments of the towering trees that dominated the picturesque landscape. It was as if the gods had decided to grow the mammoth forest as a testimony to their benevolent powers, leaving those that had the privilege to be graced by its presence in awe.

It was the fourth night that the young Senator of the Galactic Republic had been on the planet as part of a goodwill mission to the underdeveloped territories in the mid rim of the galaxy. She had been accompanied by an annoyingly large contingent of her fellow colleagues, all eager to spread the wonders of modern civilization to the Wookie tribes. Padmé had been one of those Senators until she took it upon herself to become enthralled in the wonderous nature of the planet, letting it fill her soul with inner harmony. This is why the Wookies were not a major galactic player, they didn't need to be. They had their trees and lakes with everything that they would ever need, and it suited them well, but most importantly they had their families. Families were honored, celebrated, and held above all else on the world.

It reminded Padmé of her youth, spending summers with her family at their lake retreat on the isle of Varykino on Naboo. There was the simplicity of companionship and an undying love for one another, no matter how turbulent the galaxy would become. It had been a place where her family could uphold their traditions and honor those who had come before. How she missed it so. She never seemed to have the opportunity to make it back there as her duties to her people now resided in the halls of the Senate. It was dreadful, but Padmé had been elected to the position shortly after her term as Queen of the bejeweled planet had ended. But, she wouldn't have had the opportunities to visit such wonderous worlds had she stayed on Naboo.

However, for a planet with such divine beauty, Kashyyyk was far from safe for those who dared to travel outside of the guarded areas designated for visitors from other portions of the galaxy. The Senators had been given strong instructions on where to go and when by the tribal leader, but Padmé was never one to stay on the beaten path. She wanted to feel the wilderness as the native species did, needed to taste the adventure herself. Every night she would walk to the sparsely lit lower platforms of the massive tree that sat next to one of the larger lakes in the region.

It wasn't as if she blindly ignored the risks that came with such a dangerous undertaking. She had become well read on the more aggressive native species of the planet. She knew to avoid areas where the dangerous Gnasps would fly, looking for prey to attack with their large stingers. The deadly Webweaver spiders would have webs that would span out over dozens of meters, which stepping on one would cause the creatures to rush out to snare its prey. Almost countless other species of insects and large predatory animals that would do nothing but devour a human, except her. She believed herself to be somewhat of a survivalist, having endured the occupation of her planet when she was only fourteen years old. It had been a terrifying experience with an adventure across the galaxy to be able to save her home world from the Trade Federation's invading droid army.

None of that mattered now, her planet had been freed with the assistance of the heroic Jedi, one of whom grew very to be a very dear friend, but that was not worth dwelling over, not now when she had this world at her fingertips.

Padmé leaned against the railing as she took in the lake and surrounding forest with light only provided by the stars and moon in the sky. It was breathtaking and she was not certain that she wanted to leave the following day. A part of her wanted to say to hell with the visit and stay for another week just to enjoy these dark nights.

"You know it's dangerous to be out here by yourself at night."

Padmé nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned around to see who dared to sneak up from behind her. It was a young man, maybe close to her age. She couldn't make out his features very well in the darkness but could tell that he had a sharp jawline and azure eyes that reflected brilliantly in the moonlight.

"Don't sneak up on a person like that, you nearly made me faint", she stammered as she attempted to regain her composure.

The man chuckled as if he had been told a dry joke, partially unamused and partially uncaring. "I would think that if you're going to venture down to the lower levels of the Wroshyer trees that you would need to be a little more aware of your surroundings. There are beasts walking down here amongst you", the man said with somewhat of a cockiness look to him.

Padmé gave him a withering look. She was not impressed by whoever the hell this man was. "I was doing just fine until you showed up. I don't recall seeing you in the delegation so I would appreciate an introduction."

"Oh, I don't know about that, I'm no one important", he said as he walked next to her and rested his elbows on the wooden railings affixed to the walkways.

She could see him more clearly now that he was so close to her. He had long hair, down to his collar and full lips that were slightly parted. The man did have some scars on his face, but that only enhanced his good looks, rather than detract from them. He was tall too, maybe at least a foot taller than her, if not a few inches more. Her eyes travelled down him to admire his broad shoulders and narrow waist. Whoever this was, he certainly kept himself in prime physical condition.

"See something that you like?", he asked, startling her from her ogling.

Kriff, Padmé felt fortunate that it was dark, or the man would have certainly seen her blush. "No, I don't. I was merely trying to see if you were dangerous enough to be carrying weapons on you", she forcefully said, hoping that he wouldn't see right through her lie. This man could be dangerous, she told herself. Don't get caught off guard by his good looks.

He nodded with a serious expression on his face. "I don't think you'll have anything to worry about from me, even though I am carrying a weapon. You have one too, so maybe it's I that should be worrying about you", he slyly remarked. She gave him a wide eyed look and he turned his head and smirked. "Don't look so surprised Milady. Anyone with a little bit of training would know that you're favoring your right side. You're either carrying a blaster or a knife, but my money would be on a blaster since you don't look the type to be getting into a knife fight."

That got Padmé's attention. Obviously, the man had more than a little bit of training. So, he is military aged, good looking, and said he has a weapon. "Are you some sort of guard on undercover assignment for the delegation?", she inquired. Certainly, that had to be it, there would be no other explanation.

Now his face morphed into a damned heart throbbing white toothed smile and a shake of his head that indicated what she had said was utterly moronic. He leaned close to her, his eyes piercing into her soul. "If I was an undercover guard, I would be doing a terrible job by letting you know", he whispered as if he was keeping an astronomical secret.

She held his gaze and swallowed nervously. He was entirely sure of himself, lacking any sign of humility. What a cocky bastard. But one that was intriguing at the same time.

He took a step to the left towards her and everything in her mind told her to back away, but she was frozen in place. The man looked her over with an appraising eye before locking his eyes back onto hers.

"Well, do you see something that you like?", she breathed. Oh, kriff, what was she doing. That wasn't the thing to say at all.

"Maybe", he muttered. He took a light sniff of the air. "Your perfume, it smells like flowers."

Padmé swallowed again. "Well, that's what it said on the bottle", she replied as she unconsciously flicked her hair. That's what it said on the bottle? Surely, she could've come up with a better line than that. "I mean, the scent reminded me of my home world. We have many flowers there, entire fields of them in fact. They pair nicely with the lakes, it's really quite peaceful." Stop rambling, it's unbecoming.

The man kept his eyes locked on her. "So, you're a senator from a world that has many flowers and lakes. Let me guess, Naboo?", he asked, entirely certain that his guess was correct. "Am I right, Senator?"

Her eyes bulged and her breath froze. "How did you possibly guess that?", she asked completely stunned by his accuracy. It wasn't possible, it was too much of coincidence for it to have been a mere guess.

He again gave that dry chuckle. "I may have spent some time on your world, so when you described the flowers and the lakes, that's where my mind went to", he said with a shrug.

Incredible. The man had the ability to perform a complex deduction of her simplistic divulgence and was able to correctly name her planet. The man was either highly intelligent or incredibly lucky. Perhaps both. Either way, she found herself becoming even more intrigued with him.

"You have an astute sense of reasoning", she admitted as she tried yet again to regain her composure. "But, with that information do you know who you are speaking to?" If he did, he should be a little more respectful.

The man gave her a half smile and a slight bow of his head. "Of course, I do, Senator Amidala; former Queen of Naboo", he playfully remarked.

Padmé stared at him before laughing at the man's obvious mocking behavior. "As smart as you are, that was a shit bow", she teased. "I don't think you'd make it very far into politics with those kinds of manners."

He snorted. "Trust me, Senator Amidala, the last place that I would dare venture to would be politics", he replied. "Now you, I've heard wonderful things about you."

The man inched his way closer to her and she sucked in a breath. "Now, wait a minute. Before you get too close, I don't even know your name. Seeing that you have me at a disadvantage by knowing mine, the least you can do is tell me yours." It was a fair ask; it wasn't like she was demanding his fidelity.

The half smile vanished from his face as he considered her request. "My name is Anakin", he said simply. It looked almost painful for him to say, like he was giving up a part of his very soul by just telling her his first name. It was curious, but not alarmingly so. Many people had baggage and maybe he wasn't pleased with his own.

Padmé smiled at him and held out her hand. "It's certainly nice to meet you, Anakin", she said cheerfully.

Anakin took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he bent down and gently kissed her knuckles. His hand was rough, like he used them on the daily and his lips seared her delicate skin. Such a bold move made her heart flutter in the tiniest way.

He straightened up and looked deeply into her eyes as he still held her hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Senator Amidala", he said in a hushed tone, as if someone were listening.

Padmé's lips parted, and the corners of her mouth curled into the beginnings of a smile. "Please, call me Padmé", she replied in a similarly quite tone.

"Alright, Padmé it is", Anakin smiled. "What brings the delegation to Kashyyyk? It's surprising to see so many politicians on a relatively backwater planet."

Well, the man had a point. This goodwill mission wasn't the norm, most of the Galactic Senators didn't usually waste their time with such an endeavor, which was a disappointment to the still very inexperienced Senator.

"Well, if you must know, the delegation is here to attempt to encourage the Wookies to embrace technology on a planetary scale, which in theory at least, would allow to be more of a player in the grand galactic scheme", she said with no small amount of disdain in her voice. "It seems like a foolish endeavor given how damned at peace these beings seem to be on their dangerous paradise of a world."

Anakin made a sound of contempt. "With that, I must agree. I don't understand why the Senate thinks it has the right to meddle in cultures such as this. Surely, they would all know that the last thing that the Wookies want is to have to grandstand for a living, no offense meant, of course", Anakin said as he looked away from Padmé to gaze out into the serene landscape.

"In this case, no offense is taken", Padmé huffed. This man was entirely too perceptive for his own good. "Well, you know why I'm here, would you care to tell me why you're here?" She figured it was a longshot but might as well at least try.

The man looked at back at her with an appraising eye. "I'm here to simply monitor certain activities of off worlders for the time being. It's a tedious task, but I've had worse assignments", Anakin said with a touch of disdain at the last.

Padmé arched an eyebrow. "So, you are military then. What is the military doing here?", she asked as she folded her arms in front of her. If he turned out to be scouting for a forward operating base, then she was about to lose her shit.

He shook his head. "No, not military, I work for… a private employer who merely is seeking information", he said with a bit too long of a pause.

"A private employer? Like a strip miner?", Padmé asked defensively. Seriously, what the hell was this man's game?

"Wrong again, Padmé. My employer is one that merely collects information to be able to predict certain trends within the galaxy. It's really nothing nefarious", Anakin said with a neutral face.

This man was so difficult to read, and that's what Padmé did, she read people like a book. She hadn't even gotten past the cover with him. It was confounding yet somewhat exciting, especially since he was easy on the eyes.

"Well, that sounds like an interesting job. But why would you have the training that you do to be able to spot a weapon if you're just collecting data?", she asked pointedly. "And don't feed me a line, we're merely having a conversation."

He looked into her eyes and she had the strange feeling like he was reading her soul. This Anakin, whoever he was, appeared to be quite remarkable at gathering information about her specifically. She wondered if he was able to get a read on her and was curious as to what he thought. Not that it mattered in the slightest, but Padmé had always sought for some form of approval from others. It was ingrained into her as a young Queen.

"Some of the worlds I travel to, such as this one, require a certain set of skills to stay alive. Not everyone I encounter is as friendly as you", he said frankly. "In fact, many of the places I seen to find myself in, there are beings that would rather see me dead than living."

Damnit, Padmé, don't offend the man. "That sounds like a dangerous job then. Is that how you got those scars on your face?", she asked innocently. Damn, that may have been the wrong thing to ask.

Anakin actually chuckled warmly at that. "Partly, but not all of them. I live an adventurous life, it comes with the territory", he said. "Judging by how you're at the lower levels of the tree, I could say that you too seem to enjoy living adventurously, but I don't see any scars, on your face at least", he said with a wink.

Padmé opened her mouth at the man's familiarity. He certainly was a flirt, which of course wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was a fairly romantic setting before them. She just wished he would be a little more forthcoming, especially since he was so damned good looking.

"Are you by any chance trying to flirt with me, Anakin?", she asked in a playful tone. No, don't seem too forward. Keep it friendly.

"And what makes you think I'm trying to flirt with you Padmé?", he smirked.

"Well… I mean… I just figured you were by the wink you gave me", Padmé said as she felt her face blush again.

He leaned in close to her and she could feel his hot breath on her face. "That's because I am", he whispered.

Her pulse rate nearly doubled at his remark and she found herself at a loss for words. Anakin was truly charming to say the least.

"What's wrong, Padmé? I figured that a woman as gorgeous as you would be used to men flirting with you", he said as his eyes trailed up and down her figure again.

"Don't do that", she breathed.

He raised an eyebrow with a smirk on his face. "Don't do what Padmé? Call you gorgeous?", he asked with his intoxicating voice dripped with passion. He was good at this, really good. Padmé had never been flirted with like this before. The man was so overt, yet in a heart melting way.

"It… it makes me self conscious", she said, desperately trying to regain control of her senses. Seriously, the man just didn't know when to quit.

"No, I think it's because you're afraid that someone calling you gorgeous may lead to you getting too close to them", he said, in a voice that indicated he had hit the nail on the head. "There's a tale from space pirates that traveled to the moons of Lego. There they found the most gorgeous beings in the galaxy called Diathim, but they simply referred to them as angels. That's what you remind me of, an angel. But you're too fearful of what that might mean."

This Anakin, whoever he was, was absolutely correct. Padmé shied away from potential romantic encounters, not wanting to risk being controlled or even worse, hurt. Sure, she had her one or two attempts at love, but they had always ended badly, mainly for her. This man was alluring, but there was something incredibly dangerous about him that was nearly frightening. Nearly.

"Maybe you're right about that Anakin, maybe I am afraid of that", she said fighting the urge to whimper as he got even closer to her. She was frozen in place, unable to move and barely able to breathe.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want to affront you, Milady", Anakin said as he took a step back, leaving her longing for him to be close to her again.

No, please be affronting, she thought. You're too damned handsome to simply walk away.

"Anakin, I didn't mean –"

Suddenly, the guardrail that she was leaning against snapped and before she could scream, she felt herself weightless. Oh, gods, please not like this. She pitched head down as she began to plummet down the two hundred foot fall when all of the sudden, she felt something grab her onto her and she found herself face to face with someone. It was Anakin! She barely had time to think of anything else when she felt the impact.

Padmé squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to feel if something was broken. After a brief moment, she realized she was just sore. How in the name of the Force was she still alive? She felt something moving underneath her as she tried to focus her vision in the darker area of the forest floor. It was Anakin, oh no, he took the brunt of the fall!

She rolled off him and got to her knees as she heard him groan in pain. "Anakin!", she exclaimed as she reached to put a hand on his shoulder. "Anakin, are you alright? Oh, please be alright, I'm so sorry." The man had saved her, and she prayed to the gods that he wasn't dying.

"It's okay", he wheezed through gritted teeth. "I'm sore, but I think I mainly got the wind knocked out of me." He didn't stop withering around on the ground, which wasn't as reassuring as his words tried to make it seem.

"Stay here, I'll find help", Padmé said as she went to stand up.

"No!", he exclaimed as he grabbed her leg. "Don't wonder off, there are a multitude of things down here that will kill you in a heartbeat."

Shit, she didn't think of that. How in the kriffing hell did she not think of that? "Well, I can't just stand by idly and watch you bleed internally until you die, you saved my life", she said as she felt tears well up into her eyes. "This is all my fault; I have to do something to help you!"

"I'll be alright, just give me a minute", he growled through gritted teeth. He closed his eyes for a moment and got very still, and Padmé clutched her hands to her heart as she thought the worst. She gently reached out and touched his chest and found that he was breathing, but shallowly.

"Anakin?", she asked softly. "Anakin do you hear me?" This was entirely her fault, and she felt dreadful. Absolutely dreadful.

"I can hear you", Anakin said as he propped himself up on an elbow. "I'm alright, Padmé."

"Are you certain? Is anything broken?", she asked as she ran her hands across his chest and arms trying to feel if there were any tender spots that might indicate a broken bone. Surely, he hadn't been able to take the brunt of the impact and not be grievously wounded or worse, dead. It wasn't possible.

"Overall, I'm fine", he said as he shakily rose to his feet. "I may have a few cracked ribs and feel a little lightheaded from hitting my head, but I'll live."

Thank the gods, she'd been so worried. There was mercy in the galaxy.

"Good, I'm glad", she whispered to him as she took his hand. "I would've felt absolutely horrendous if something worse had happened to you."

"Really?", Anakin asked with the forming of a smirk on his face. "How horrendous?"

Padmé slapped his arm, causing him to wince. "Alright, alright, I yield", he said as he rubbed his arm from the sting to his already sore appendage.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. You're just so… you're just so infuriating! You're nearly dead one minute and the next you're flirting like nothing's wrong", she pouted. The man was inexcusably arrogant to think she of all people would want to flirt after he nearly been killed. "In fact, how is it possible that we're not dead? That was a two hundred foot drop, we should both have been killed."

"I guess we're just lucky", he said with a face so calm he could have been having an afternoon mug of tea.

"Luck", Padmé repeated. "I don't think it was luck, but I can't come up with any other explanation other than that. So, what do we do now? Wait for the sun to rise?"

Anakin shook his head. "No, if we stay here, we're as good as dead, I'm afraid" he said as he cracked his neck, nearly causing Padmé to gasp at the awful noise.

"Well, what do you mean that we're good as dead if we stay here? There's nothing around here that I can see", she said. In fact, it was quiet, almost unnervingly quiet. There should be more noise and at least the sounds of beasts lumbering about, but there wasn't any.

"That's what I'm trying get at, there's nothing around here as something has the wildlife spooked", Anakin said quietly. "That only means one thing to me, whatever is down here is deathly quiet and very carnivorous."

Oh kriff, the man was right, and it was giving her the frights. Shouldn't the Wookies have cleared out a safe buffer zone to protect the delegation? That seemed only smart, but then again it would explain why the Wookie chieftain had been so stern in his warning to stay in designated areas. Damn, she was daft for not heeding the warning. If she made it through this she would strongly consider listening to further warnings from planetary leaders. Maybe.

"Okay", Anakin said. "We need to move, now." There was a slight sense of urgency in his voice. If the man was so nervous to be in a near panic, well not a near panic but close to whatever he was feeling, but if he had such an urgency to his tone that Padmé wanted to faint right there.

He took her hand, and they began slowly and quietly moving across the forest floor, careful not to disturb any of the flora, lest it give away their position away any further.

Padmé felt some reassurance in the iron grip that Anakin had on her hand, the roughness of his palm letting her know that this wasn't the man's first run in with intense danger.

The closer they got to the base of the Wroshyer tree, the darker it grew, with the tree's understory layer blotting out the moon light until it was difficult to see anything. Padmé was having a difficult time finding her footing in her blasted heels and was convinced that she would step on something that she would wish she hadn't.

"Anakin, I can barely see anything", she whispered. "Maybe we should head down to the lake where there's moonlight." It seemed like a better idea than tramping around in the darkness where a thing was lurking, waiting to kill them.

"No", Anakin whispered back. "Whatever is down here is tame compared to what we'll find if we get too close to the lake."

Padmé resisted the urge to groan. The resplendent planet was more dangerous than she had originally thought, and she felt moronic for thinking that she could somehow best nature at its own game. Seriously, why did she always have to unwillingly be so arrogant all the time? No matter, that was a question for later if they survived.

Once they reached the base of the tree, Anakin stopped, and she could barely see the outline of his head. He appeared to be searching for something. Maybe a way to scale the tree? They were only two hundred feet give or take from the lower level platforms, which should in theory make for an easier route back to safety, although Padmé wasn't sure how she would be able to climb in such dreadful footwear.

"What are you looking for?", she inquired, her voice still at a bare whisper. Surely, he could at least tell her what his plan was.

"The Wookies use baskets to travers from the lower levels of the tree to the forest floor so their hunting parties can ascend or descend without risking some of the dangerous wildlife from climbing up into the tree. I'm looking for guidewire vines so we can possibly use them to climb up, but I don't see any over here. We're going to have to continue to move around the base of the tree until we can find them, otherwise we're going to be stuck", he whispered back.

Kriff, so there would be rope climbing. Padmé had never been good at rope climbing. In fact, her attempts in doing so during physical conditioning courses were nearly laughable. She desperately wished she had spent more time to hone her ability to do so, but there was no turning time back.

Anakin kept a firm hold on her hand as they silently crept around the base of the massive tree, further into the forest to where it was so black that Padmé could barely see the back of Anakin's head.

"How can you see down here? I can't see a thing", she whispered.

He gently scoffed. "I just have good eyesight, nothing special", he replied. Padmé had the sneaking suspicion that he wasn't telling the full truth, but she let it go for the time being. She had to survive this before she could interrogate him any further.

Padmé took a step into something sticky and couldn't free herself from whatever had entrapped her foot. A sudden wave of panic overtook her, and she pulled on Anakin's hand so he wouldn't keep going and cause her to fall.

"What is it?", he asked, trying to figure out why they stopped.

"My foot, it's caught in something. It's sticky and it won't let go of me", Padmé replied.

"Oh shit", Anakin said, with a tone of absolute dread. "I'm going to do something that's going to shock you, but we don't have much time, and I'll explain later.

"What?", Padmé asked exasperated.

Anakin didn't respond, he simply let go of her hand which nearly caused her to cry out. An instant later she heard a familiar snap hiss, and the man had a gods damned lightsaber ignited. The red glow providing instant illumination. Anakin quickly looked down towards her foot and Padmé nearly screamed as she realized she had stepped onto the edge of a large network of webs. Damned Webweaver spiders.

With a precise flick of his wrist, Anakin sliced the web that snared Padmé's foot and he pulled her behind him, his eyes scanning all around them for threats. Suddenly, Padmé heard dozens of legs stomping towards them. Shit, there was more than one of the mammoth spiders.

This time she did scream once she saw them. There were four, with each one as long as Anakin was tall. They bared their fangs and hissed at the sight of Anakin's red lightsaber. One charged at them and Anakin held out a hand, using the Force to shove the spider back. It screeched as it landed dozens of feet away. The other spiders hissed in outrage and began their assault. One leapt at them with its fangs ready to take off an arm, when Anakin sliced into the spider's mouth and throwing it back with the Force. It didn't screech, so Padmé assumed it was dead.

The other two spiders began to slowly flank them, their massive legs moving with such precision across the forest floor. There wasn't a thing Padmé could do other than watch in absolute horror. The third spider that Anakin had initially shoved back had recovered and was moving quickly to rejoin the fight. Anakin reached behind him and roughly shoved her up against the ancient tree, making sure that she had as much distance in between her and the spiders as possible, which wasn't much. His head darted from left to right, keeping a close eye on the two spiders that were stomping to their sides.

The one to their left charged forward at a blistering speed and Anakin raised his hand and squeezed it into a fist, crushing the spider's legs. The beast flipped over to its back and began thrashing wildly with its disfigured limbs.

"Anakin, we have to get out of here!", Padmé yelled. There was no way that they could hold off these things forever even with Anakin's Force powers.

Anakin shook his head. "We can't, if we do, they'll outrun us. This is our only shot", he replied, his voice strangely calm and unwavering. How could this man possibly be so calm in the face of such adversity? It wasn't normal, it was grossly abnormal, but Padmé now understood why he had the scars on his face. Situations such as this must be the norm for him, and that frightened her. Just who the hell was this man?

The spider to their right stood silently, as if strategizing its next move after seeing two of its companions mortally wounded. The initial spider that Anakin knocked back was a mere twenty feet away from them. Its fangs snapping, as if waiting for the right moment to strike. It was odd, both spiders seemed to be waiting on something and Padmé had the nagging suspicion that it wasn't anything to do with Anakin or herself.

A cold feeling crept up the back of her neck and she slowly turned her body to the left and looked up. Above her, climbing down towards them on the side of the tree were two more of the creatures.

"Anakin! They're above us!", she screamed as loud as she could.

Anakin grabbed her and threw her to the ground as he turned around and reached his hand up into the air and pulled down hard. The spiders were thrown to the ground at least forty feet behind the spider in the middle. He twisted his body as the spider that had been flanking them on the right charged. With a single smooth motion, Anakin thrust his lightsaber into the creature's eye cluster, killing it instantly. He picked up the body with the Force and threw it into the spider in the center as it began to lunge towards them a second time. It screeched again as its comrade's heavy body knocked into it, temporarily stunning it.

The spider to their left, the one with the crushed legs was still snapping its jaws and making a gods awful grunting sound as it was desperate to kill them even though it couldn't even right itself. Its mangled legs were still wiggling furiously as if trying to push it through the air towards them.

The two spiders that Anakin had thrown from the tree were stalking towards them with no sign that they had given up the fight. Anakin reached down and picked Padmé up, again shoving her back into the side of the tree. Ordinarily, she would be outraged at being thrown around so many times, but this wasn't an ordinary situation. Padmé could tell that the Jedi, or whatever he was, was trying to rapidly think of a way out of the situation for them both, but whatever he was going to do he needed to do it fast.

"Well, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve?", Padmé asked heatedly. "Those fucking things are going to kill us!" Seriously, think harder damn you.

"If you have any ideas I'd love to hear them", Anakin shot back. "These things are venomous and can bite a limb off in a second. You have a blaster, right? Start shooting while I figure it out!"

Shit, her blaster! How could she be so forgetful? Padmé reached into her blouse and pulled out her weapon. She started firing at one of the creatures, hitting its body. It shrieked in pain but kept advancing. She shifted her aim to the left and fired several more shots, killing it.

Two more of the deadly spiders came from nowhere, rushing towards them at blinding speeds. Now that their prey was distracted by new foes, one of the spiders to their front turned and shot webbing at them. Anakin barely had time to block most of it before it pinned him to the tree, but he missed a spurt that slammed into Padmé's arm, preventing her from using her blaster.

Oh, gods no, I'm going to die, Padmé thought as the incoming spiders were mere feet from them. Until they stopped, as an invisible barrier prevented them from advancing any further, their jaws snapping into the air. Anakin roared into the night sky as he raised a fist causing all the spiders, including several were beyond the light, to shoot into the air, barely visible.

Padmé's fear was replaced by awe as the spiders clumped together into a ball being packed tighter and tighter. After the crushing noise began, limbs, intestines, and other parts dropped to the ground harmlessly away from them. After what seemed like an eternity, the final remains of the beasts were all in a pile, posing no more of a threat to the two humans.

The ensnared Senator watched Anakin has he bent at the waist, breathless from what undoubtedly was an incredibly taxing feat. She watched him for a moment, dumbfounded that the young man was able to do such things, things that she had never seen a Jedi do before. But she doubted that he was a Jedi. She sucked in a breath as when he turned to her, his eyes seemed like they were on fire for a fleeting moment, just to appear normal again. It must've been the lightsaber, she rationalized.

"Hold still, I'll cut you free", he said, still somewhat breathless.

Padmé nodded and looked away as he carefully sliced alongside her arm, daring not to move an inch lest she be burned horribly. He pulled the lightsaber away and she was able to free herself with a tug. She began rubbing her arm as she continued to eye him, not sure what to say.

"Are you alright?", Anakin asked as he looked her over concerned. "I'm sorry I let those things get so close, I was trying to prevent us both from getting covered in webs."

"I'll be alright", Padmé replied. "I'm just a little bit shook up; I can't believe I came that close to dying. I've never come that close to dying." Her voice was shaken, and she felt herself become lightheaded. "Gods, that was too close. This has all been too close." She was barely able to think straight she felt so anxious.

"Hey, look at me. Look at me, Padmé", Anakin said softly. She looked up at him with her eyes wide and her breath shallow. He put his left hand on her, arm and squeezed gently. "We're going to be okay, just take deep breaths. It's alright." His voice was incredibly soothing and his eyes entirely captivating. He had been a true warrior, strong and brave.

Padmé's left hand shot out behind his head and pulled him down to her, locking his lips into a sensual kiss. He was surprised at first, but soon leaned into her more, his gentle pressure threatening to burst capillaries in her lips. She wanted more, she had to have more, but even given her desire for him, this was hardly the safest place to tackle him to the ground for passionate sex.

When they broke, the smacking of their lips nearly echoed in the quiet night. They stared at one another, their chests heaving and their hearts pounding. "Thank you for saving my life twice", she whispered.

She half expected him to come up with some cocky remark, but he just nodded. After another few moments of them staring into each other's eyes he finally spoke. "We still have a long way to go, so we'd better get moving", he said, as he took her hand.

Padmé wanted to whimper in disappointment for having to move on from such a moment but knew that they were still in an atrociously precarious situation and they needed to leave. Thankfully, Anakin kept his lightsaber activated for light as she was terrified of stepping on additional webs. The forest was still quiet, and her nerves were getting the best of her. What if there were additional spiders? Would Anakin still have the ability to destroy them with his mind or would he be too exhausted? She didn't know.

As they crept along the base of the tree, Padmé eyed the shadows, looking for any sign of movement. When she saw something, she placed her hand over her mouth and stifled a scream.

Anakin whirled around to face her. "Padmé, what's wrong?", he asked calmly.

"I thought… I thought I saw something in the shadows over there", she said, pointing in between two large stones.

Anakin pointed his lightsaber in the direction but saw nothing. He turned his attention back to Padmé. "I don't see anything there. Your mind can play tricks on you in the dark if you let it.", he said.

Padmé briefly nodded. She wasn't so certain that it was a mere trick of the mind that had caused her to see what she had seen, but if Anakin couldn't see anything, there was probably nothing. She again cursed herself for getting into this dreadful situation.

The continued their journey with Anakin pausing to check for vines every now and then, but thus far, no luck. Padmé was beginning to doubt that they even existed. If they were so commonly used, they should have been able to find one by now.

"What if we can't find one of these vines?", Padmé asked quietly. "We'll be stuck down here."

Anakin sighed and Padmé could tell it wasn't out of annoyance, but out of agreement. "I don't know. We should have run into them by now, it's puzzling that they're not here, unless the Wookies removed them to prevent anyone from attempting to climb down into the shadowlands."

"Shadowlands?"

"That's what the Wookies call it down here. The forest is so unrelenting at night and full of things that can kill you, it's a place where only their bravest warriors and hunters dare go."

"And this is the first time you've been down here?" Something told Padmé it wasn't.

Anakin paused for a moment before responding. "No, I've been down here several times, but below different trees. It isn't a place where I like to go, but I've survived it before."

"I knew it!", Padmé hissed. "There had to be an explanation as to why you were able to stay so calm back there." The man was beginning to become infuriating with the limited details he had provided all night.

"To be honest with you, I've been in far worse situations on worlds that would make this one seem like a paradise", he said with a chuckle. "Besides, I'm not always calm, or did you forget how angry I became when we were nearly killed?"

Damnit, he was right. "Okay, not calm, but fearless. I've always thought of myself as fearless, but obviously I'm not." It was almost humiliating for her to admit.

Anakin emitted a low grunt. "I'm not fearless either, Padmé, in fact I'm far from it. I would be remiss if I said I was."

"Do I detect a hint of humility in your tone? I'm shocked, Anakin. To think that I thought I had you figured out." Seriously, who the hell was this man?

The man's shoulders lurched in what Padmé could only assume was a poor attempt to conceal his laughter. "I wouldn't go as far as saying that Milady. No one has ever alluded to me being humble, nor do I want anyone to. I'm too damn good at what I do for that."

Padmé rolled her eyes. Gone was Anakin's humbleness just to be replaced by his cocky attitude. She was surprised that she let herself be lulled into thinking otherwise. But still, there was something intoxicatingly attractive at the man's brazen personality. It was fiery and alive, quite unlike anyone else she had met.

"Well, I suppose I shouldn't refer to you as humble, but I will be grateful if you can get us out of here in one piece."

"That's what I –"

Anakin froze momentarily before assuming a defensive posture with his lightsaber out in front of him.

"Stay behind me", he whispered fiercely.

Padmé looked in terror at a large snake with huge nostrils and beady eyes set on the sides of its head. The creature was coiled to an impressive height, maybe fifteen meters long. Could this be an Annakonas? Padmé had read that it was a beast that even the Wookies dared not seek out as they were massive and powerful. Their scales were an armor that could protect it from most melee weapons and blasters, but that didn't stop her from squeezing her own blaster in a crushing grip. Ready to use it if Anakin wasn't able to warn it off.

"What are you going to do?", Padmé whispered.

"Quiet, Padmé, I'm trying to concentrate."

The nerve of the man. He simply was too insufferable for his own good.

She watched as he raised his hand at the beast, as if trying to communicate. The creature hissed and roared at him, not giving up an inch. It slowly uncoiled itself and crawled on its belly towards Anakin, snapping its jaws threateningly. If the sight wasn't so damned terrifying, Padmé would have been immeasurably impressed with Anakin's ability to stand his ground against the monster, even if it did appear to be foolish.

Anakin kept his hand raised and his weapon at the ready. The fingers on his left hand were flexing slightly as the beast continued to press its way towards him, ready to strike. Padmé felt an overwhelming desire to run off into the night, but that would be foolhardier than staying still. It would be best for the time being to trust Anakin and stay behind him.

The creature rose its triangular head over Anakin and its mouth opened to reveal rows of jagged teeth and a long togue that flicked towards Anakin, trying to get a good taste of the feast that was to come. Its jaws would easily be able to fit around his body, ready to swallow him whole for when it decided to finally strike. What the hell was he doing? Surely, he could end this with a stab of his lightsaber, so why wait for the inevitable to happen?

His actions reminded her of a beast tamer, one who risked everything to break the animals under his care so they would become obedient. Though, most beast tamers that she had seen were skilled in their craft, devoting countless hours learning the temperament of the animals that they worked with. Given that Anakin had knowledge of these shadow lands, he probably knew more of the nature of these monstrous snakes than she, but she still doubted that he knew enough to keep the creature at bay with the sheer will of the Force.

The serpent roared at Anakin again, and it drew its head back ready to strike. Suddenly, Padmé screamed as the creature darted its head back down to Anakin for the killing blow, when in a flash, the mysterious man leapt into the air, and thrust into the large beast's head, directly into its brain. The snake went limp, and its head impacted the dirt hard, nearly knocking Padmé over.

"Just what the hell was that?", Padmé demanded. "You could have done that from the beginning, but you had to try whatever else you were trying? That thing could've killed us!"

Anakin turned towards her and that same mischievous smirk remained plastered over his face. "I had it under control, Senator. Or did you really think that I'd allow us to be killed by something that crawled around on its belly?" Seriously, the nerve of the man and his arrogance.

"It isn't that I thought that you couldn't kill it, damn you, it's that I had figured that you would've been able to kill it sooner", Padmé said as she attempted to regain her composure. "That's what normal people would do. They'd end the threat as soon as it became apparent, not attempting to whisper to it through the bloody Force!" Kriff, this man was too much for her.

With another one of those damned dry chuckles, Anakin cracked his neck, sending shivers down Padmé's spine. "If we come across anymore, I'll let you have a crack at it with that little blaster of yours, Padmé", he replied. Did he really just say that?

"You're doing your best to try my patience, Anakin", she huffed. Where the hell did this man get off in trying to goad her in such a way? She was a damned Senator and he was, well whatever he was. It seemed rather odd that he would be walking around with so much swager when he was so close to her age.

Just when she thought Anakin couldn't get any cockier, he turned to her and gave her another one of those dazzling smiles. "I think you secretly enjoy it, Padmé", he said brazenly.

"I what?", Padmé asked, utterly baffled. Did he really just… no, she had to have been hearing things. Even he wouldn't be so bold as to suggest… dammit to hell, he did say it!

"You heard me", he replied as he stepped closer to her. "You enjoy that I try your patience. People probably always treated you as royalty or commensurate with your esteemed position as a senator, which is fine, that's what you grew up with. But deep down it makes you bored. I on the other hand am treating you like a person, an equal, because that's what we really are. Equals. Just two people fighting to stay alive down where the beasts lurk to kill us both."

Padmé's jaw dropped at the speech, and it was a rather good impromptu speech. It was also true; deep down she at times grew absolutely tired with always being treated like she was better than the people she represented. It was pompous, ingenuine, and a lie. She craved to be treated like a damned person, not some goddess, and that's exactly how Anakin was treating her. Still, the words cut deeply, and she didn't know how to respond.

She finally composed herself to be able to form a coherent sentence. "Assuming you're correct, what does that mean when we leave this hellish land and ascend back up the tree? Do I go back to being an esteemed politician and you go back to being whoever it is you really are?", she asked as she placed her hands on her hips, her defensiveness returning.

Anakin shook his head. "Not if you don't want me to", he said. "If you want me to, I'll continue to treat you on the same level playing field, well, maybe not entirely level. It really depends on the position we take with one another." Did he just really make an inuendo? Shit, this man was a fucking flirt!

"Some positions are better than others", she blurted out. Oh gods, why did she just say that? She was too damned inexperienced to have said something like that and felt like she wanted to crawl in a hole and die. Where was another one of those damned snakes when it was needed?

His smirk grew to be the largest she'd ever seen, and she wanted to squeak and hide. "Fair enough, Milady. Let's get the hell back up the tree so we can find out which is yours", he said with a wink.

Padmé felt unbelievably hot and slightly lightheaded. Was she really turned on by this? Force help her, she actually was. There would be hell to pay once they scaled to the lower levels of the tree, that is if they ever did. "Okay, putting the deviant words aside for the moment", she said as she held her hands up, "we still have to find a way out of here. I imagine that there are still things down here that would love to kill us so if we can just focus, we can maybe, just maybe, return to some lighthearted banter." Damn, why did she have to be the voice of reason?

"As you wish, Padmé", Anakin replied. He turned and quickly began scanning the area again, undoubtedly spurred on by her promises of returning to more base discussions if he was able to find them a way off the forest floor. He held out his left hand which she took probably a little quicker than she should've, and they resumed tromping through the foliage.

After another ten minutes of walking, Anakin suddenly stopped which made Padmé's stomach lurch in fear. What demonic creature was waiting for them now? Surprisingly, there wasn't anything there. "Anakin, what is it?", she whispered.

"I've found some of those gods damned vines", he whispered back triumphantly. Oh, it seemed too good to be true. He held his lightsaber out and she could see two vines that ran perpendicular to the forest floor. Thank the damned gods, it was about time some good fortune smiled on them. But there was a problem. She was so damned tired, and her feet were sore as hell from skirting about the ground wearing four inch heels. It was inconceivable that she be able to climb two hundred feet by vine without falling to her doom.

"As good of a find as this is, I'm not certain I'll be able to climb", Padmé said as tears welled up in her eyes. After all this she wouldn't be able to save herself from doom. Even if Anakin was able to scale the vines and send down help, she would certainly be dead long before they reached her.

Anakin must've sensed her anxiety as he turned and placed a hand on her cheek. "Not to worry, I'll do the climbing for us", he said encouragingly. His gentle touch was soothing to the point where she momentarily believed him.

"You're not strong enough to do that", she said as she blinked away tears. Was he? No, he was built solidly, but not enough to be able to pull that off. If he tried, they would both fall to their doom.

"I'm not?", he countered with a deadly serious expression. "I've scaled sheer mountainsides with double my own body weight on my back before, Padmé, I'm certain that I can handle a little senator that's built like a flower. Besides, if I'm not, I'll just drop you."

Padmé froze in shock. Would he do that? "You're teasing me", she said incredulously.

"Oh, no, I'd be much too afraid to tease a senator", he said with a chuckle. She slapped his arm as hard as she could. "Ouch, okay, I won't tease you", he said as he took a half step away from her. "Until you're ready to be teased that is." This arrogant son of a bitch was driving her insane.

"Can we just get on with it", Padmé said as she struggled to keep her voice down. It would be just fitting if they were to die with the light at the end of the tunnel just in sight. Fitting, but not desirable. At all. Dammit.

"Fine", Anakin replied. He stood next to a vine and waved her over. "Come on, I'm going to need you to climb on my back before I turn this thing off so I can start climbing."

Wait, what? "You're going to turn it off? But it'll be pitch black", she all but wailed. "It's too dangerous not to be able to see, we could be snatched out of the sky by some flying nocturnal monster." Seriously, could Anakin not think straight enough to be able to consider that? "I can hold the damned thing while you climb."

"First, yes, we need it to be pitch black. There are a horde of things that will be attracted to it when we get more than a hundred feet off the ground. Second, no you most certainly cannot hold it. These things are tricky and with one wrong move, you could slice the vine in two, sending us both plummeting. Besides, lightsabers are too damned hard to find parts for let alone build, so I'm not taking the risk of you dropping it either", he scolded. "Let's go, climb on my back."

"Fine", she huffed. "At least kneel down a little, you're too kriffing tall." Tall and handsome, she wanted to say, but didn't. Anakin didn't need any more of an ego boost, his was too damned large as it was, and he didn't need to be weighed down by it while he climbed.

Anakin rolled his eyes and softly growled as he knelt down on one knee so she could climb up and clasp her hands around his chest. She had no idea how hard his chest was, but for the love of the gods, he was built like a damned battlecruiser. He stood and she wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging on for dear life before they even left the ground. He placed his left hand on the vine and the lightsaber was deactivated. She felt him shove it into an inside pocket of his jacket and once it was secured, he gave her a heft to shift her body weight slightly before she felt him reach up with his right arm and off they were.

It was so terribly dark. Dark enough to prevent her from seeing anything, which unnerved her terribly. She buried her face into the long locks on the back of his head as he climbed his way up, softly grunting from time to time. Force, he was strong. She felt like she kept thinking that, but it was true. He must have spent countless hours honing his physical fitness to the point where it undoubtedly was an obsession.

They ascended at a slow but steady pace, which Padmé was thankful for. If they fell, Anakin would unlikely be able to shield her from her death again by using the Force. Luck. Ha. She had known it wasn't just dumb luck that they survived their plummet, he had the mystic power to rely on. If he was able to pull their rescue off, she had plenty of questions that she wanted to grill him with if she decided she wanted to be able to give into her damned desire for him. Oh, kriff, stay focused.

"How far up do you think we are?", she whispered into his ear, her eyes still squeezed shut. The thought of opening them made the possibility of them falling or being plucked from the air by a flying creature all too real.

"About a hundred feet", he grunted. "If you open your eyes and look up, you'll be able to see the moonlight at slant. We made it almost the entire way around this damned tree." She was about to retort at his assumption that her eyes were shut, but then remembered that her face was buried in his now sweaty hair. At least he didn't smell horrendous when he sweated, more like almonds.

Padmé lifted her head and willed her eyes open and gasped at the sight of the light that was streaming in on a slant just as Anakin had said. They must've broken through a layer of foliage. She could even make out the platforms of the lower levels and the sparse torches that were along the walkways. They were so close, yet so far away. Anakin just needed to get them a little under another hundred feet and they would finally be safe.

"You're doing great, keep going Ani", she encouraged. Suddenly he froze on the vine. Oh no, what now?

"What did you call me?", he whispered sharply.

"Ani?", she repeated questioningly. "It's just a silly nickname I thought of, don't tell me it offends your masculinity." It seemed as though she found a chink in his armor, for whatever reason. Maybe he had a peeve about nicknames. Many people did, so all he had to do was say so.

"Never mind", he replied as he resumed his climb. She had struck a nerve, maybe more so than just it being about a petty peeve. That was another thing she would have to interrogate him over when all was said and done.

Padmé chose to remain silent as he kept climbing, not wanting to say anything else to offend him. Partly because she wanted him to keep them safe and partly because she didn't want him to stomp off and leave her once they made it to the platform above. There was something about him that was just so damned attractive that she couldn't let the opportunity of getting to know him better slip through her fingers.

After another several minutes of solid climbing, they were almost there. Padmé became so nervous that something bad was going to happen now that they were so close to being free of the hell in which they literally were climbing from that she didn't want to curse them by getting overtly excited. That was entirely more pessimistic than she was used to thinking, but she couldn't help it. This night was one that she mostly wanted to forget. Well, the damned spiders and really big kriffing snake at least.

As they were but ten feet away from the top, Padmé could feel Anakin's muscles trembling. He was more worn out than he had let on and she silently prayed that he would hold out just a little bit longer before they were home free. Suddenly, a torch shown down on them from the walkway followed by an angry howl. They were caught by the Wookies that were pulling security at the walkway.

"Alright, alright, we'll explain in just a second", Anakin said tersely. "You could give us a hand at the very least." A fury paw shot down and plucked Padmé from Anakin's back causing her to let out a yelp in surprise, until she had her feet on the wooden walkway at least. She could've fallen to her knees and kissed it if she wasn't surrounded by three of the largest Wookies that she'd seen the entire trip.

They didn't help Anakin, which was telling at how little they trusted him. They began growling at him, undoubtedly asking him questions about what they were doing down there. Could he even understand them?

"Look, we had an accident and fell from the walkway, it isn't something that you need to concern yourself with", he said out of breath. They didn't like that answer and began pointing wickedly long knives at him threateningly. Oh, shit they don't know he has a damned lightsaber. He'll cut them to ribbons if they push him. "I don't care if you don't believe me, that's the truth. No one in their right mind would want to go down there at night. Now put your weapons down before I pick up mine." His voice turned from submission to pure agitation. His fatigue was obvious, but Padmé didn't doubt for a moment that he was ready to leap into a confrontation if needed.

The situation became more tense and Padmé pressed her back against the tree, not wanting to get caught in the middle of what was surely to be a horrible confrontation between three Wookies and a giant of a man. Anakin was looking more and more aggravated when he suddenly waved his hand. "You don't care where we came from, you're going to leave us alone and forget you ever saw us." They paused apprehensively and then growled and grunted back, waiving their weapons down the path indicating for them to leave. By the Sith, did Anakin just mind trick them? He took her hand. "Come on, let's move quickly, that might not work a second time."

"Okay", Padmé squeaked as she followed him along the path. They ascended several floors before she had the presence of mind to ask where they were going. "I think my room is back that way", she gestured.

Anakin stopped and looked at her. Did she see disappointment? "I was going to invite you to my room for a drink, but sure, if you'd rather we end our night then that's alright", he said. He was disappointed! She hadn't intended on ending their night, rather invite him to her room. Oh, shit, she couldn't. Her handmaiden would be fast asleep, she couldn't very well drag a man back at an ungodly hour for a conversation.

Don't act too excited. "I suppose a drink wouldn't hurt", she said as a smile tugged at her lips. "Gods know that I could use one after the adventure we just had." That was the kriffing truest statement she ever said.

The slight look of disappointment faded from Anakin's face replaced by one of those white toothed smiles. "Alright, come on", he said as he gently, but firmly tugged on her hand. They walked for another minute when he stopped in front of what she assumed was his room. Now she could get a read on him judging by whatever he packed with him. He opened the door to the room carved into the massive tree and it was pitch black inside. "Hang on, let me light a lamp." He worked for a moment, then the room was illuminated. It was sparse, just a table with a chair, two bags and a bed. Not much for her to use to her advantage, he must have to travel light given the type of work he's in, she surmised.

But when she turned to him, she got the first good look at him in the entire night. Good gods he was fucking stunning. His skin was tanned, and his hair was dark blonde. His eyes were even more azure than she had originally thought, piercing through her like daggers of ice. Whatever she had gotten herself into, it looked as though it was entirely worth it.

"Have a seat", Anakin said as he gestured to the bed as he picked up a bottle that was on the table along with two metal cups and began pouring themselves a drink. Padmé nervously sat down on the bed near the pillow and folded her left leg over her right as daintily as possible, fidgeting with her long skirt as Anakin handed her a drink before he shucked out of his jacket and tossed it over his two bags. He sat down next to her and breathed a sigh of relief, which made Padmé giggle. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and the beginnings of a smile on his lips. "What's so funny?"

"You", Padmé replied as she took a drink of the strong liquor he poured. She wasn't used to drinking hard liquor, but she most certainly made an exception as she needed to unwind a little bit in front of the leviathan of a man.

"What about me?", Anakin asked as he leaned back against the wall, before taking a sip from his own cup.

"You sighed in relief, which means you are mortal just like everyone else", Padmé said as she stole a glance before looking away. She already felt her cheeks flushing with warmth again, which would make him entirely too bold again.

"I never said I immortal", he said with a shrug. "I just happen to be better than most mortals." There it was; the pure cockiness that made her unusually attracted to him. She had always found cockiness to be unbecoming of most men, but he certainly wasn't most men.

"I'll believe that to a certain extent", Padmé said coyly. "You did handle yourself down there better than I thought you would. I most certainly wasn't any help." Gods, she nearly got them killed during the first fifteen minutes of their trip around the tree.

Anakin grinned and shook his head. "You weren't terrible down there; it wasn't your fault you didn't see those webs. Besides, we probably would've been attacked anyway. Those spiders are notorious for being able to find things to prey on, how do you think they're able to get so large?" The very thought of those monsters sent a chill down her spine. If she never saw one of those spiders again, it would still be too soon. Such atrocious creatures shouldn't exist, but apparently, they did, in numbers too.

"Well, it would've helped if someone, I won't name who, had whipped out his lightsaber so we could've seen where we were walking to begin with", she pointed out. There was the color of his lightsaber that was bugging her as well. She didn't know a lot about the Jedi, aside from what her Jedi friend had told her, but she knew they didn't choose the color red. This Anakin didn't seem to be threatening, so surely, he wasn't a Sith, but then again, she had always imagined them to be ghoulish beings, not incredibly attractive men.

"I like to save that for when the shit starts to hit the fan", Anakin said as fiddled a small rip in his shirt. "It's not a big deal anyway, just a parlor trick." Interesting, he's deflecting. Maybe she should press him just a little more on the topic.

"Anakin, do I detect a little more humility in your tone? You're starting to make me wonder if you're humbler than I previously thought", she said. "Don't tell me you had a girl fooled; I might have to change my opinion of you." That should do it, he's sure to be baited by that line.

His lips formed into a smirk and his eyes narrowed. "Playing to my ego isn't a very good way to goad me into opening up, Senator", he said in that cocksure tone of his. "Now, if you want to get my attention, you should be asking the right questions, then maybe I'll let you in on a few secrets. Maybe."

Damn, she had miscalculated. Better to change the subject so he doesn't become too guarded. "I suppose it isn't. Maybe we'll talk about that later. I noticed you only have a couple of bags that seemed to be packed and ready to go. Are you expecting to have to leave in a hurry?" That should be an easy question to answer.

Anakin shrugged. "I'm not expecting trouble if that's what you're asking. No, I might get called away to go somewhere completely different at a moment's notice, so I have to be prepared to move quickly", he said. "And before you ask, my employer needs me to be mobile in case certain trends in the galaxy change and need monitoring."

That was telling yet cryptic. Whoever his employer was would have to be well connected in order to require an employee to be so dynamic. "I don't suppose you have a name for this mysterious employer?" The odds of him answering weren't in her favor, but she figured she might as well ask.

"He likes to remain anonymous to people that don't work for him", he said gruffly. "I don't really like to talk about him, he can be a little difficult to work for." Okay, so that was a touchy subject. Move on to something else.

"Well, what are you interested in, aside from your work?", she asked. It wasn't the greatest question, but certainly not the worst. Certainly, Anakin had things he enjoyed aside from work, he was human after all, and humans across the galaxy had that in common.

Anakin pursed his lips and looked up at the ceiling briefly. "Not much. I enjoy piloting and fixing things, nothing glamorous." Ah, so she had asked a good question. He was good at flying himself and had a hand at being able to work independently by making repairs, making him quite the lone wolf.

"I'd say that being a pilot is glamorous. I wouldn't be of much use in the cockpit", she said with a shake of her head. "Knowing my track record, I'd probably crash into the side of a mountain or building before I'd ever make it through the atmosphere."

Anakin scoffed. "Being a pilot is something that anyone can learn", he said as he grazed the palm of her hand with his fingers. "You just have to learn the art of subtlety when you're changing course." Padmé resisted the urge to moan as his fingers delicately traced the creases in her palm, like he was painting a masterpiece. But as sudden as the gentle touch began, it ended. Damn.

"I'm surprised you know about subtlety, Anakin. You've been nothing but overt the entire night", Padmé said with genuine surprise. "I'm starting to wonder how many sides of you there are." She could've sworn that his face darkened for just a second. He was absolutely confusing her in every way.

"No more than the usual", he replied with a wink, quickly recovering from whatever that was. "What about you, what do you enjoy aside from your job as senator?" Oof. She led herself right into that.

She looked down at her cup and frowned momentarily. "I really don't have much outside of work, I'm afraid. I'm too damned married to my job, but for good reason. My people are dependent on me to ensure that they're adequately represented in the Republic", she replied. "I know you probably think that's silly, but it's my life." It was a decent life, a proper one even, but there had to be something more to it than that.

"I wouldn't say it's silly, maybe optimistic. The galaxy is a harsh place, and there are people that most certainly have intentions on making it even harsher", he said, his face adopting a neutral expression again. Why was that so damned peculiar?

"I suppose that's not an unreasonable stance as my planet was ravished by some of those people when I was the queen, but I believe that the majority of people are inherently good and only wish to live in peace and prosperity. Take the Wookies for example, they largely stick to their home world and while they may seem barbaric, they haven't been a driving force in any war in history that I can recall", she asserted. "It's those type of beings that will see that good will triumph over evil."

Anakin was quiet for a moment, hopefully reflecting on what she said before his smirk reemerged. "I told you that I'd heard good things about you", he said. "You're a true believer in the Republic, which seems to be rare amongst the other senators I've encountered. Just be careful as sometimes being a true believer can lead to true disappointment." Well, at least he acknowledged that she believed in what she'd been blathering about.

"I'll keep that in mind. I suppose it's my turn to ask a question then", she said as she thought for a moment. "Oh, I know. When you were climbing the vine, why did you react as though I slapped you when I called you Ani?" Yes, she was taking a chance by asking that question, but she figured if she was sitting near the pillow of his bed that he could at least answer an uncomfortable question.

This time the darkened expression lingered on his face for more than a moment. "That's a fair question. I'll preface this with a statement that I don't want to dive into details. Agree?", he asked. Well, maybe that wasn't a terrible ask, so she nodded. He sighed and looked across the room for a moment before returning his gaze to her. "That's the nickname that my mother called me. She died when I was very young."

Padmé's heart sank. "Anakin, I'm so sorry for asking. I honestly thought it'd be a harmless thing to call you", she said as she reached out to place her hand on his. Seriously, why the hell did she think it was a good question to ask?

"It's alright", Anakin said as he flashed a grin. "You didn't know. Since you thought of it yourself, maybe I'll let you call me that in the future, if you're comfortable with it at the time at least." That made her heart race again. Did he plan on being in her future? Surely, it would be difficult due to their professions, but what if it was possible? Also, what the hell did he mean if she would be comfortable with it at the time? She most certainly would be comfortable with it.

"Fair enough Anakin, I –", she said as she was interrupted by a sharp pain in her foot. Damn those heels and damn herself for choosing to wear the damned things. She bent down and began rubbing her ankle, eager to find relief.

"You alright?", Anakin asked as he leaned forward a bit. "Oh, I see, it's your feet isn't it?"

"How perceptive of you", Padmé said with a frown. Now, now, don't be upset at him for accurately guessing. It isn't his fault that you both had to take an extended hike through the horrors of the shadowlands.

"Easy there, I'm sure it hurts, but I have an idea that will help", he said as he stood up and grabbed the bottle on the small table. He refreshed their drinks before setting the bottle down by the bed. "Drink a bit more, it'll help with what I'm going to do."

"What're you going to do?", Padmé asked nervously. Surely, he wasn't going to amputate her damned feet, was he? Oh, of course not, he would've let you fall to your doom if he had such malicious thoughts about you.

"You'll see", he said as he sat at the foot of the bed. "Come on, put your feet on my lap." She hesitated. "Just do it, it'll be worth it."

Well, maybe she should be trusting him with her tender feet. He was a damned Force user, so maybe he has a secret power to heal aching feet from being kept in high heels while walking over rough terrain. She wearily placed both feet on his lap and he removed both her high heels, causing her ta gasp in relief. Then, the marvelous man proceeded to give her a foot rub, working the tired muscles and bones with his rough hands.

"Oh!", she moaned, as he began working on a sensitive spot.

"You like it?", Anakin asked huskily.

"I love it", she groaned, causing him to look at her with a sly grin. He reached a particularly sensitive spot and rubbed deeper, causing her to whimper in need. If he was this good at rubbing feet, how good was he… No, don't think that way. Well, maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing.

Padmé parted her knees, aching for him, hoping he would take the subtle hint that she needed more than a foot rub, and took the hint he did. His hand reached up her leg and slowly, but confidently reached up her skirt and began rubbing her leg, all the way up to her inner thigh.

"Oh, don't tease me", she softly cried. "It isn't fair to tease me." What are you doing? You've only been with one man in your entire life and that was years ago!

Anakin withdrew his hand and with both, he reached and hooked his fingers into the waistband of her skirt and began to slowly pull it down, causing her to groan. Why was he being so slow? She figured he'd be more assertive than this, unless he was teasing her. "Why… Oh… Why are you teasing me slowly? I thought you'd be a little more daring", she coaxed. "I want you, badly."

He let out a short laugh. "I'm guessing you're not very experienced, so I'm going nice and slow", he said. "It's better that way, you'll see." Wait, how the hell did he guess that? There was no way he would know about her lack of promiscuity. "Remember, I guessed that you didn't like for people to get close to you," Well, there was the reminder she needed.

"I understand that", she began, "but I'm wanting you to be a little more assertive for me, Anakin", Padmé whispered. "Please."

"No, no, no, my dear, ", said. "You're going to have to get a little bold yourself, he said as he teased her core with his fingertips, rubbing her through her panties. "I'm not going to do this on my own." What a kriffing tease.

"Fine", she bit out. She shoved his hand away and began unbuttoning his blouse. He stayed sitting on the bed, looking at her. "Well, I'm certainly not going to give you a strip tease if you're going to stay on the bed. Get up and undress yourself, if you want me." Where in the hell had she learned to become so demanding? The man that she'd been with before was tender and kind. Anakin was kind in his own way, but with his incessant teasing all night, she knew he wasn't tender."

"Alright, Milady", Anakin said with a chuckle. "I'm yours to command." He stood and pulled off his long sleeved shirt, and pulled off his boots and socks. She had her blouse off at the moment and fumbled, trying to unbuckle his pants. Gods, she wasn't good at this at all.

"Let me help", he hummed quietly. His hands guided hers and she finally was able to unbuckle them and knelt down, slowly pulling his boxers and pants down, his manhood, Sith, his large manhood stood strait at attention.

He looked down at her with a lecherous look that made her shiver. She'd never done what he was expecting, but figured it was the appropriate time to try. She gently took the tip of him in her mouth, licking and teasing him. She fought back a smile when he groaned and began stroking the back of her head.

She placed her hand on him and slowly began to move it back and forth while her mouth was on him, driving him wild with desire. He bent down and unclasped her bra, allowing her modestly sized breasts to swing free. Damn that felt good.

Anakin pulled her up and away from him, and slid down her panties in one swift motion, and kissed her gently, but passionately. She whimpered into his kiss and placed her arms around his neck longingly, pulling him in deeper. They stood there for a while, kissing one another deeply. Their lips becoming swollen from the pressure and their tongues slipping into each other's mouth, gently dueling. This was beyond all the heavens of all the religions. Anakin wrapped his arms around her back and buttocks, lifting her in the air while kissing her, just to break the kiss while he laid her down on the bed. She instinctively parted her legs, ready for him.

"Someone is needy", he remarked.

"So are you", she replied confidently and pointing at his member as it stood like a damned missile. Strait and proud. Force, this would hurt since she hadn't done this since she was eighteen.

He let out a chuckle, but instead of it being dry, it was full of mirth, signaling to her that she was right. He laid down in between her legs, and kissed her again, this time harder and more passionately. She could feel his rock hard member teasing her core and it was divine. She wanted him, she needed him. Gone was the nervous girl, and in was the sensual woman. She arched her back and moaned into his mouth.

Anakin broke the kiss and locked his eyes with hers. "Are you certain you want this? If you tell me no, I'll stop." What a damned sweetheart.

"I want you; I need you", she breathed, committed to what she was about to do. Kriff, she was turned on. He gave her a quick kiss, and then he gently guided himself into her core, sliding all the way in.

Padmé let out a sharp cry of pain at being stretched so suddenly, and he froze, letting her get used to his size. Oh, he was so good, she would have no regrets of this in the morning. After a few moments, he slowly began his thrusting, her breaths became ragged, exhaling each time he pressed in. Her fingernails dug into his back, undoubtedly leaving marks for him to remember her by.

As he increased his tempo, his movements became more forceful, slamming into her with desire. It felt so right, so divine. Her pulse throbbed in her neck and she bit back a scream as he continued to increase his ferociousness. She locked her legs around his waist for the second time that night, but this time instead of terror, it was from sheer ecstasy.

Then there came the wonderful noises of Anakin's moans, which were music to her ears. The fact that she was pleasing such a brazen man was immeasurably uplifting. While she had always been a confident woman, this was showing her all new levels of assurance, emboldening her to the point where she could no longer bite back her screams. She let loose and the room was filled with her erotic noises of pleasure, which did nothing but drive Anakin to the point of madness as he quickened his pace to an unholy rate.

She closed her eyes, unable to focus on anything else. "No", Anakin said breathlessly in her ear. "Keep your eyes open and look at me, Padmé."

"I can't", she cried. It would be far too much for her oxytocin smothered brain to handle.

"Trust me", he said as he planted kisses on her cheek and jaw. "It'll make it even better. I want to see those gorgeous eyes of yours."

Oh, fuck He knew how to talk to her, and it was intoxicating. Padmé opened her eyes to find his locked on her. Her face contorted as the connection between them intensified. It fired so many neurotransmitters in her brain that it sent a warm tingling sensation over her entire body. Her heartrate pounded in her ears. It was becoming overwhelming.

"It's too much", she managed to say. "I-I…" She couldn't finish what she was saying, nor could she close her eyes. It was like they were being held open permanently, no matter how hard she attempted to force them shut.

Anakin's piercing eyes stared into her soul, preventing her from thinking of anything other than that moment, that particular piece in time that she would never forget. She tried to scream, but she couldn't, she could barely breathe. Then, something curious happened. She began to shake from the tips of her fingers to the ends of her toes. She was approaching her peak, something that had never happened before in her life. It was something that he was giving her in exchange for her giving herself to him.

Stars exploded in her eyes as he continued to look into them. Her vision became hazy, and she felt her core spasm, and could faintly hear Anakin cry out in pleasure right before he collapsed on her, crushing her into the bed with his muscular body.

Padmé felt the side of his head pressed against hers, and when she was able, she turned her face into his neck and choked out a sob. Completely exhausted from the stimulating experience. There was a feeling in her heart that began surfacing. It was the feeling of belonging to him and him belonging to her. As silly as it sounded, she never wanted another man again, only him. But the feelings of reality dawned upon her, without warning, crashing into the bliss that still possessed her.

Anakin raised his head and began kissing her passionately, drowning out the anticipation of losing him. For now, she would just be his, she'd worry about the rest the next day. He broke their kiss she shuddered as he gazed into her eyes again, but instead of being able to keep them open, they finally grew heavy.

"Rest, Angel", she heard his voice echo as she drifted into unconsciousness.

…

Padmé lazily opened her eyes to find Anakin, resting his chin on his folded arms, gazing at her. "Hi", she whispered. Memories of the previous night flooded back to her, especially those of the warmth that had possessed her body. She felt a brief tingle of it again as she stared into his azure eyes, which nearly caused her to shutter. What also ran through her mind was the fact that she only met him the previous night, but felt like she'd known him for ages.

"Hi", he echoed. "Glad to see you woke up." He was smiling, but instead of his face showing the brash confidence she had grown accustomed to, there were whisps of sadness. Why would he look so forlorn?

"What time is it?", she asked as she tried to get her bearings. She felt exhausted, but rested at the same time, which confounded her.

"It's about a half an hour before sunrise", he replied as he reached out to brush a lock from her hair. Instead of retracting his hand back, he set it on her shoulder and began to gently massage her. His sadness seemed to intensify, instead of dissipating away. Suddenly, she knew what was to happen.

"You're leaving, aren't you?", Padmé asked, and she felt a since of loss overwhelm her. It was the same feeling that she'd had the prior night, but more intense. A single tear escaped her eye and fell onto the bed.

Anakin moved his hand to the side of her face and began caressing her. "Unfortunately, I have to. I've been called to immediately travel to a little corner of space on the other side of the galaxy that no one has ever heard of." Dammit, this wasn't fair, but it had been expected.

She mustered her bravest face, knowing that sobbing would only make saying goodbye that much more difficult. "Well, I would tell you to stay safe, but I know that's something you're incapable of doing", she joked, causing them both to chuckle.

"You're probably right. I won't be safe, but that's what I'm good at", he said with a grin.

Padmé swallowed as she propped herself up. "I'm going out on a limb by saying that I probably won't see you again." That's right, be honest with yourself.

"You actually might", he said as his grin fell. "You just might not like what you see." There was such pain in his simple statement that reminded her of how he was barely able to tell her his name. What did it all mean? There was no sense in asking, he was about to walk away forever.

"I'm not sure I agree with that, but I'm sure you have your reasons for saying it", she replied. "If I do see you again, I'm going to remember last night fondly."

"Good", he stated simply, but there was still pain in his voice. He moved his hand from her face to the back of her head and kissed her deeply, and she knew that this was the end. There would be no more discussion, no more questions. The magic that she had experienced with him was over.

Anakin pulled back and rested his forehead on hers momentarily, and they both braced themselves. In a flash, she saw him stand and grab his two bags with one hand as he walked to the door. He opened it, but instead of walking out, he turned back to her for one last look.

Padmé had to be the one to say it. "Goodbye Ani." Gods, this was so hard.

He tensed visibly before he gave her one last dazzling smile. "Goodbye Angel."

With that, she saw his face harden and he walked out the door. When it shut, she allowed herself to break down and cry.

A/N: Sorry this was so long. I simply couldn't find a way to break this up into two chapters without it losing some of the impact. The rest of the chapters won't be as long. As I mentioned earlier, this story will be updated slowly while I finish my other Vaderdala story, but it will be updated around once every few weeks to a month. Once I'm done with the other one, the updates will occur more frequently.

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