(All rights go to George Lucas)

Chapter I Destiny

"You don't find love, it finds you. It's got a little bit to do with destiny, fate, and what's written in the stars."

― Anaïs Nin

On the desert planet of Tatooine, the young boy named Anakin went to work early to Watto's Shop. He doesn't know why he's been feeling anxious all day, so he began to work to distract himself. As he came back into the shop, he took notice of the newcomers. Watto argued with him for his tardiness then left with the man to do business; leaving Anakin in charge of the shop.

It was then that Anakin could not take his eyes off the young beautiful girl who came into the shop. He noticed her the moment he entered the shop; even when he was still arguing with Watto, not even paying much attention to what he was saying. He couldn't help but stare at her even after she took notice. He then moved to the counter and sat himself up while pretending to clean a transmitter cell, as he kept watching her.

She looked back at him, feeling a little embarrassed but also curious. She was small and slender with long loose braided hair brown hair and brown eyes, and a beautiful face he couldn't help but feel captivated so much, he couldn't compare it with anything else.

She wondered looking at the shop, and gave him an amused smile; it was then that Anakin felt as if his young heart would stop. It was then that he spoke to her taking a deep breath.

"Are you an Angel?" He said quickly

"What? " She answered staring back at him.

"An angel. I heard the deep space pilots talk about them. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe." "They live in the moons of Iego, I think." He said as he was cleaning a helmet.

The young girl found him interesting giving him a confused look, and came closer to him as he kept talking to her. "I never heard of angels," she said.

"You must be one of them," Anakin insisted. "Maybe you just don't know it."

"You're a funny little boy. How do you know so much?" The girl said amused.

"I listen to all the traders and star pilots who come through here. I'm a pilot, you know, and someday I'm gonna fly away from this place."

"You're a pilot?" she said curiously

"Mm-hmm. All my life."

"How long have you been here?"

"Since I was very little. Three, I think. My mom and I were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, but she lost us betting on Podraces." he said.

The young girl was surprised. Never had she met, or been on a planet that practice slavery. "You're a slave?"

"I'm a person, and my name is Anakin." He said ashamed and angry.

"I'm sorry. I don't fully understand. This is a strange place to me." She sincerely apologised feeling embarrassed.

Anakin studied her for a moment thinking of other things, and wanting to tell her about them. "You are a strange girl to me," he said instead. He then swung his legs from the counter and stood up. "My name is Anakin Skywalker."

She brushed at her hair. "I am Padmé Naberrie."

They both laughed as the Jar Jar stoped the droid by hitting its nose. Their laughter increased as they saw Jar Jar's long face.

Anakin looked at Padmé and she looked at him. Their laughter stopped and Padmé reached up to touch her hair self-consciously, but she did not move away from his gaze.

"I'm going to marry you," Anakin said suddenly and sincerely.

There was a moment of silence, and she began laughing. It was a sweet, soft, musical sound he didn't mind at all. "I mean it," he said determined.

"You are an odd boy," she said, as her laughter died out. "Why do you say that?" He hesitated for a moment. "I guess because it's what I believe . . ." Her smile was hypnotising. "Well, I'm afraid I can't marry you . . ." She paused, trying to remember his name.

"Anakin," he said.

"Anakin." She cocked her head. "You're just a little boy." He gave her an intense gaze as he faced her. "I won't always be," he said confidently.

It was then that the Jedi she came with came back. Telling her it was time to leave; she then walked towards the exit and looked at the boy. "I'm glad to have met you, Anakin," she said giving him a warm smile as she left.

"I was glad to meet you too." Anakin said, reluctant to see her leave.

He was still staring longingly after Padmé, his gaze fixed on the empty doorway.

Minutes later a sandstorm was approaching, and the Jedi Knight was about to head back to the ship along with Padmé; then noticing they were stuck Anakin came up to them.

"Do you have shelter?" he asked

"No, but we'll be heading back to the ship.", said the Jedi.

"Is it far?", said Anakin.

"It's on the outskirts." Padmé mentioned.

"You'll never reach the outskirts in time. The sandstorms are very dangerous. Come on, I'll take you to my place." Anakin stated. Anakin took Padmé by the hand quickly, tugging on it, and started guiding them to his house, as the storm started to pick up.

As he fought his way through the storm, Anakin's thoughts were elsewhere. He was thinking of Padmé, of having the chance to take her home and meet his mother, who he loves so dearly. He wants to be able to show her his projects, of holding her hand some more. It sent a flush of electricity through him that was both warm, yet scary. Still, it made him feel good about himself.

They reached the slave quarters; it was small yet spacious, a humble place. Anakin took them inside as he called for his mom.

"These are my friends, mom." Anakin told her.

"Hello", said Jar Jar.

"I'm Qui-Gon Jinn", he said as he looked at the woman feeling an attraction towards her. She was a woman of forty, her long brown hair tied back neatly showing her gentle face. Her clothes were simple and rough. Even in her current age she was still pretty, and to Anakin she was still as pretty as she was when she was young.

Then, Anakin happy to have them in their home was eager to show Padmé, the droid he was working on. Happy again that he touched her hand. "Come on. I'll show you 3PO." Anakin told her, and R2-D2 followed behind them.

While Anakin and the others where talking in the other room, Qui-Gon couldn't help but stare at Shmi with affection. He tried to not let his feelings get the best of him, since it's forbidden for a Jedi to fall in love. Shmi began to serve the meal as she felt the Jedi's gaze on her, making her faintly blush. She offered Qui-Gon a seat on the table and he couldn't help, but take her hand and thanked her for the hospitality. Both felt a strong connection as their hands touch, and she suddenly let go as she heard her son and his friends come to the dinner table. It was then that Qui-Gon asked, "Haven't you ever tried to leave this place with your son."

"All slaves have a transmitter placed inside their bodies somewhere." She responded sadly

"Any attempt to escape, and they blow you up!" Said Anakin.

Padmé was shocked hearing all this. "I can't believe there's still slavery in the galaxy. The Republic antislavery laws-", she got cut off. "The Republic doesn't exist out here. We must survive on our own.", Shmi responded bluntly.

"Have any of you ever seen a Podrace? Anakin asked them. "There are Podracing on Malastare. Very fast and dangerous", responded Qui-Gon. "I'm the only human who can do it." Qui-Gon was surprised to hear this, "You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods." Anakin looked at the man and knew he was different, "You're a Jedi knight, aren't you?" Anakin said looking down at his plate. Padmé looked at Anakin and then turn to look at Qui-Gon. "What makes you think that?" Qui-Gon asked the boy. "I saw your laser sword. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon." Qui-Gon then thought to test the boy, "Perhaps I killed a Jedi and took it from him." He said with a faint smirk.

"I don't think so. No one can kill a Jedi", said Anakin so sure of it. Qui-Gon only wished that were true.

"I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the slaves", he said in all honesty. "Have you come to free us", Anakin thought. "No, sadly", said the Jedi.

"Then why exactly are you here", Anakin questioned.

"We're on an important mission and our ship is damaged, now we are looking for parts for our ship", said Qui-Gon. "I can help. I can fix anything", Anakin said eager to help. Shmi looked at his son giving him a proud smile.

Later on, in the Skywalker home, Qui-Gon Jinn stood silently at the doorway of Anakin's bedroom and watched as he sleeps. Shmi and Padmé slept in the other room, and Jar Jar Binks slept in the kitchen floor snoring. Still Qui-Gon couldn't sleep. He sense something about the boy; he watched him sleep peacefully not noticing the man's presence. He had told Shmi about it and she agreed with him. Anakin Skywalker was a very special boy.

Qui-Gon's thoughts then went to the young girl Padmé. She doesn't have enough midi-chlorian count to be a Jedi, but there was something else; an unknown force that lays hidden inside her. He didn't notice it at first but just an instant he felt it in her. A force so unfamiliar and just like that it was gone.

The next day, Anakin continued to work and check on his podracer; along with the company of Padmé, R2-D2, C3PO, and Jar Jar. And from the top of the roof Qui-Gon watched him. Shmi then appeared through the back door and move over to join him; together watching what her son and his friends were doing. Both kept trying to ignore their attraction towards one another, and stayed silent for a moment.

Qui-Gon then spoke, "You should be proud of your son. He gives without any thought of reward."

Shmi agreed, with a tender smile over her face. "He knows nothing of greed. Only dreams. He has . . ."

"Special powers." Qui-Gon said catching her attention. "He can see things before they happen," he continued. "That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It's a Jedi trait." She looked at him with a glimmer of hope; a hope for her son to have a better future. In that moment the Jedi Master placed a hand gently over Shmi; his gaze then turned over to the courtyard.

"The Force is unusually strong with him. Who was his father?"

There was a long silence, enough for Qui-Gon to notice he asked her a question she wasn't prepared. Then she finally answered, "There is no father, there never was. I carried him, gave birth to him, and raised him. I can't tell you any more than that." She then moved up her other hand and touched his arm. He wants to help her and her son, he just doesn't know how yet.

As darkness ascended on the night sky, Anakin sat quietly on the balcony while Qui-Gon studied a deep cut in the boy's arm. Anakin had got the cut during the afternoon's prep work on the Podracer; he hadn't even noticed it until now. It was then that the Jedi came to clean up his wound.

Qui-Gon wiped a smear of blood from Anakin's arm, then applied some antiseptic. "There, good as new." The boy thanked him and went inside as his mother called him to bed.

After he left, Qui-Gon produced a comlink chip and wiped a sample of Anakin's blood onto its surface. He made sure he was alone, then slipped the chip with the boy's blood sample into a relay slot in the comlink and called Obi-Wan.

"Yes, Master?" His Padawan answered.

"I'm transmitting a blood sample," Qui-Gon advised. "Run a midi-chlorian test on it." He waited excitedly with a feeling that he knows he's right about this boy.

"Master," Obi-Wan interrupted. "There must be something wrong with the sample." Qui-Gon took a slow breath. "What do the readings say, Obi-Wan?"

"They say the midi-chlorian count is twenty thousand." Obi-Wan's voice in disbelief. "No one has a count that high. Not even Master Yoda."

Qui-Gon kept staring out into the night, staggered at his discovery. Then he let his gaze wander back toward the room where the boy was sleeping, and stiffened. Shmi stood just inside the doorway, staring at him. Their eyes met, and for just an instant it felt as if they were the only two people in the universe. Then Shmi turned away, embarrassed, and disappeared back into her room.

Qui-Gon could no longer deny his feelings, he had fallen in love with this woman. Even though he knew it was forbidden, the Jedi would find a way for them to be together.

His mind also thought of the boy, this very special boy who he has already grown attached too.

Notes:

This is my first fan-fic so I hope you guys like it. The first chapters will be G to Teen, but it will soon get darker and more explicit.