Anniversary

I was walking through the Senate building looking for Padme, a dozen roses were in my hand. Entering the lift to her office, I felt my heart race as I became excited for our date. I did not know why I was so nervous. We were together for three years before I lost her, then those next thirty years almost killed me. Now that I had her back, I felt like I was walking on air all last year. So why did I feel like this was our first date? Maybe it was a positive thing that I was nervous, maybe it meant I was still crazy about her.

Of course I was still madly in love with her, how could I not be? She was certainly my angel since I met her on Tatooine all those years ago. She was still strong willed, smart, compassionate, and devoted. I loved her with every fiber of my being.

Finally, someone noticed the out of place Jedi with the bouquet of roses, and came up to me.

"Hello, who are you looking for?"

"Senator Amidala," I said.

"Ah, she is in a committee meeting in conference room D. I will show you."

I followed the pale pink-skinned Twi'lek down the hall to the lift. She pressed a button and we went down a level. Then I followed her through a maze of hallways with conference rooms scattered throughout. She stopped at one door.

"Here it is," she said.

"Thank you, miss," I said.

"Surprising a girlfriend?"

"My wife. We made it a whole year!"

"Aw, Congratulations. I wish my boyfriend was so romantic."

"We are a rare breed," I said flashing a smile.

She laughed. "Yes you are. Good luck," and she turned and left.

I walked into the conference room and the scene shocked me. About twenty senators were standing around in groups of three or four, shaking their fists at each other and shouting at one another.

In the center of the confusion was my pregnant wife in a blue dress that flowed outward hiding her pregnancy.

"I don't care what you call it. It is WAR PROFITEERING!" she screeched at Munn a representative from the banking clan.

"We are trying to make a living during this hard time of rebuilding. We are just trying to do what we can."

"At thirty percent interest! These people have been enslaved for the last thirty-three years and you are going to hit them with that rate? They will have to starve their people to pay you back!"

"How they come up with the money is none of our concern. We are trying to do a good deed. We do not have to give these people any loans at all. They are the ones who rocked the boat and fought against the Emperor who was elected, I might add."

I knew the next words out of my wife's mouth would be so foul she would regret it, so I took this time to interrupt.

"Excuse me Mrs Amidala. May I interrupt?" I said, trying to sound official.

They both stopped and turned to me. Padme's face turned from furiousness to a soft smile seeing me and the roses.

"Master Skywalker, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"May I have a moment of your time in private? It is a matter of importance."

"Of course," she said, then she turned to the Munn and added sharply, "I'll be back."

She followed me out of the room with the rest of the room oblivious to our departure. I took her hand and lead her to an alcove near a window.

"Happy Anniversary," I whispered to her as I placed the flowers in her hands.

"Oh Anakin, there beautiful," she said, taking them from me and smelling them.

"They are just like the ones we had at our wedding. Do you remember?"

"Of course. Who do you think picked them out?" she laughed as she leaned in to kiss me.

"You are kissing me in the middle of the Senate building. I remember when I had to talk you into this."

"We used to do it all the time. My favorite was the day I told you I was pregnant."

We kissed again and I held her close to me. As I inhaled her perfume, I thought back to that day. It was one of the last days I was truly happy. She, Luke, and Leia were the reason. That was all before Palpatine turned me into a monster. An image filled my mind of him whispering to me that I had killed her after I woke up from surgery that first time. As much as I tried, I could not remember if he lied or if Padme is lying to me to spare my feelings. Pushing the dark thoughts out of my mind, I turned back to the angel in my arms. I could not believe that a year ago, she forgave me and I got to call her mine again. I placed a kiss on her forehead, then on her cheek, then on her mouth. She kissed me back hard and we just stood there for several minutes only separating to catch our breath.

"Exsqueeze me, Miss Padme, Wesa our waiting for you."

"Im gonna kill him!" I muttered under my breath.

Padme laughed as she broke away from me. "Okay, Jar Jar. I'm coming. Just give me a minute to say goodbye to my husband."

"Okieday. Bye bye, Annie," and he walked back inside.

"Can I kill him? Just once?" I asked.

"No. I'll see you at home. I love you," she said. Then she kissed me again, and turned to go back to the room.

"I love you too," I said back, and I turned to go back to the Jedi Temple.

Padme's Dress: